The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 371

the AAfet,- ,.nd rutnre work of thnee who be put on the s&mo levol with tbo wortl ■ knew that. hi' had oome ont from God. themeelvee. Even Reuss finds here a ren.son Yer,. 7, 8.-Again then (o3v, ffl"'lmling 0 All for ho Idin~ the authenticity of mnny 11.t Ion.at tli0 {'{lnditions, the cup, tho oro1111, th<1 hlood- of the eayrnga themeelvea, while rcruein"' t'J haptiem. the Puprtemc will, Rll are at stake) he accept the genuineneea of the Gospel ~s 11. IU!ked them, Whom Beek ye t Then, restored whole(' Theologie Job&nnique,' in loao). from their fright and spaem of conecienoe, Ver. 10,-Then Simon Peter. The other produoed by the preeenoo of One whom evangelists aimply tell us thn.t oao of tho 110 fettere, not even tboee of death iteelf, number of the disciplos performed the fol- rould bind, and rcll.Nlnred now by the 1111.Dle lowing A.Ot. The oJv here is introduced voice (ef. Dan. x. 10; Rev. i. 17), they reply, between Simon and Peter, ae if to imply that J'et111B the Nuarene. He thus oompele them it was not merely Simon son of Jonas, but to limit their design, and to single himself Simon the Rook, the man of mighty impul- out for the mRlioe and devilish plot of their sive passion, rendy, M ho sru.d a few hours mAeters. I told yon that I am he: if there- since, lto go with his Master to prison and fore ye Beek me, su1fer theee to depa.rt. There to death. The name and identification of is much in this that liee beneath the mrface. Peter with the brave man who struck at (l) There is an expln.nation of the mimcu- least one blow for his Master, is a proof, not lous bl1LSt whioh bad a few momente before of John's animosity against Peter, or any rolled them at hie feet. They will not dare deeire to humble him, but rather to exalt to disobey him. What may be not do, if bun. The extraordinlll'Y oonoomitanoe of they proooed to arrest the disciplee? (2) this act with all the other delineations of The di6ciplcs are disch&rged from the im- Peter·e ebRmOter is another undesigaed hint mediate function of BUtfering and death. of the authenticity of the narrative. Simon They were in imminent danger, aa is oon- Peter, then, having a sword, Hore we eee spicuous from the fleeing youth, and from the unintentional agreement with the sy- the 111.nguage of the bystanders subsequently noptic n&rrative (Luke xxii. 38). Nothin<> to Peter; but their hour was not yet oome. would be less likely than that Peter should (3flle would tread the winepress alone. have a sword at hie diepoeo.l; i.e. judging They were none who could go with him into from the Joh1mnine no.rra.tive. The Gospel this terrible conflict (of. " Ye sho.11 leave me of Luke explains it. Having a sword, he alone ; yet not alone"). drew it, and smote the sl&ve (not one of the Ver. 9.-But John found (4) a deeper inrT,pfrai, but the ~oii1'os, body-servo.nt) of reason still. He said this in order that 1.he the high priest, and out oft' his right ear, 1 word whioh he apake an hour or two before The elo.ve, in receiving euoh o. wound, must might be fulfilled, not finally exhausted in have been in feufnl danger of hie life. The its unfathomable depth, but gloriously illus- reference to the rig11t e&r, mentioned also by trated, Conoernmg those whom thou hut Luke (:i::l.ii. 50), ie uoteworthy. Now the name given me, not one of them I lolt. This is of the slave wu Malohus. Here the eye-wit- a proof, as recognized by De Wette and ness, not the theologian, nor the dramatist, others, that the evangelist waa quoting exact reveals his hand. Thoma. sees, however, the words of the Master, not words which he fulfilment of prophetic outline, and a. refer- bad theologically attributed to him. The ence to the kings and chief captains, the temporal safety of the disciples was a means Mnlchusee and cbilie.rche, that are ultimately on tllJlt dread night of saving their souls to flee before him. The subsequently men- from death, aa well as their bodiee from tor- tioned circnmetance (ver. 15) that the evan- ture or destruction. "Christ," says Calvin, gelist was "known to the high priest,"' "continually hears with our weakness when explains this recovery of &n otherwise vulue- he puts himself forw&rd to repel BO many lees name. The instant when Peter cried, attacks of Satan e.nd wicked men, because "Shall we smite with the sword?" wae moet he sees that wo are not yet able or prepared opportune. For the moment Peter felt that for them. In short, he never brings his the whole band could be discomfited by a. people into the 'field of battle till tbey have bold stroke. Christ with hie word, tbo been fully trained, BO that in perishing they brave-hearted apostle with his woapou, could do not p..~rish, because there is gain provided BCBtter all the foes of the Lord. As on so for them i.'Oth in death and in life." The many other occasions, Peter gives advice to reference of the &postle to eh. xvii 12 is, the MBlter, only to .find himself in grievous moreover, also one of the numeroDB proofs mistake. which the _Gospel it.elf supplies, that great, Heaven-taught as the apostle was, he stands, 1 'D.Tfov is read by Laobmaan and T.R. and with eJl his inspiration, fu below, at least numerous uncials ; &m,p/011 is read in I{, B, on a different plo.ne, from that occupied by c•, L, X, Vulgate, by Westcott and Hort, the Lord. His occasional interjecti!>ns and B.T., and Tisohendorf (8th edit.), Both oo:planatione of his Muter'• words cannot words a.re diminutives for obs, on, xvm. 1-40,] ~'HE GOSPEL .ACCORDING TO S'l'. JOlIN,