The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 384

Ul<'d instend of ffJ\llov, ILDd implie1 that bis felt bow much they needed truth. The "t'!'lmin,t: is permanent in its eff'eC'tB, and not Sanhedriete eaid that "truth ia the ee&l of simply a past historic faot" (Westcott). In God," and they played upon the word MQN order tha.t I might bea.r witnen 11I1to the or "truth," by making it equivalent to the truth. This is hie supreme claim. There fint and middle and Jut of all things seeing is an absolute roality. God's way of thinking that N, o, n, are the first, middle, and' Inst of ubout things is the oloeeet npproxime.tion the letters of the alphabet I W<' t'an make to the conooptof" trnth perse." Ver. 38.-Pila.te eaith 11llto him, What ii In t!, is i@ Mmprebended all the reality truth 1 The aphorism of Lord Be.con of tlw Divine nature nnd chn.raoter; all that " • What is truth ? ' eaid jesting Pilale, o.nd the eternal God thinks oonoerning man and did not we.it for an answer," scarcely repre- the laws whioh have been given him, and sents the reality of the ce.se. Pile.ta was not cont'eming the failure of mo.n to realize ecornfully jesting with a mete.physioal pro- God's idea of what he ought to hnve been; all blem, nor professing himself hopelessly the absolute fact, just 118 it really is, of me.n's baffled in search for it. The language was peril ,md hie prospects, the actual relations not the utterance of irrepressible homo.go to between Lody and spirit, between the in- hiemysterious'Prisoner, or heartfelt sympathy diYiduo.l and the community; all mnn's with him. For on this supposition why did positive need of redemption; all the deep he not wait for some more words of stmnge mystery of Christ's own Person and work. unearthly wisdom? Nor docs he go so far 'l'hesc constitute the mighty realm of thing,,, in hie scepticism 118 Pliny the Elder did boiugs, duti<'s, n.ud prospects, which we cull when he so.id," that there is only one thing truth. Jesus so.id he had been born nud certain, viz. thilt there is nothing certain ; " had come into the world in order to bear but as e. man of the world having to do with witness to truth. From John the Baptist's Roman authority or intrigue and Jewish standpoint, that prophet bore witness con- fanaticism, Pile.ta despised eo.mestnCBB and cerning the light ( eh. i 7, 8), and. according zeal, and wa.s utterly unable to believe in to the r.i.nge of his vision. he too (eh. v. 33) the existence of a world or region where bore •· witness to the truth" (i.e. so far 118 any higher reality than force prevailed. he knew it) of the Christ. Our Lord now But the governor wu now, with bis narrow solemnly declares that he himself came to range of thought, strongly convinced that bear witness to Tmt TRUTH in all its amplitude. J eeus we.a utterly innocent of the charge Ilcngetenberg sees in these words simply brought ago.inst him. The unanswered u reference here to the propheue office of question ie equ.ivnlent to this-What hllb Christ ; but the next cla11Be shows that onr truth to do with kingship? What ha.s th11> LorJ is actually defining by this ele.im the vague shadowy region over which this poor extent of the kingdom that is "not from king reigns to do with plots against Cmear ~ hence " or from this world e.s its origin. He saw enough to induce him to break ofl Every one tha.t is of the truth hea.reth my the interview within the Prmtorium, e.nd he, voioe. To .. hear the voice " is to obey 118 a proceeded, though vainly, to deliver a verdict supreme authority (eh. L 8, 16, 27), e.nd the on the caae. When he had ea.id this, he phra.sc shows Low widely the thought re.ngee. went out to the Jews, and said, I find no Every mind open to the influence of truth, orime in him. Here, however, must be in- every one who is eet against the UD1'0alitiee troduced the scenes de11Cribed by Mutthew, of mere opinion or tradition. who derives Mark, and especially by Luke-ecenes of life and joy from the realm of reality, every loud e.nd angry d.iepute and renewed and one who therefore knows how different he fierce accusation (Matt, :u:vii. 12-14; Mark wight be, how much he needs, who is "of xv. 3-5; Luke lliii. 4-12). In e.11 three Goel," 8J! the Source e.nd &ginning and e.ccoun!s, after the admission tbe.t he was Ground of ttll things. Compare here the King of the Jews, the loud, fierce accusations remarkable parallel to this sentiment, eh. followed in which our Lord, notwithstanding viii. 47; and IWIO the words of the high- the repeated summons of Pile.te, "e.nswered priestly prayer, "All thine a.re mine, and nothing." At this the governor marvelled mine are thiue," e.nd " Those whom thou greatly (Matthew and Mark). It is not im- L8J!t given me a.re thine; thine they were, possible the.t the first question which Pilate and tLou gavest thew me." The same large put to him within the Prmtori.um we.e re- embn.ce of human souls is oonepicnoll8 here, newed e.nd le.conically answered with the Every cme t1uu u of tlie tndh hea.reth the :::Su J\{-yus, e.s before; but e.11 the wild roar of voice of Christ, o.nd will accept his authority the chief priests and people could e:i::tre.ct 118 final and 11Upreme. The sublime wit- nothing more. This silence in face of the nelli! to tLe truth wh.icli he had been bearing, accusation of the mob e.stonished Pilate, in this mauifeet.ation of the Na.me of the &nd roe.de him more the.n ever cnnvinced of Father, wonld m&ke the voice of Jesll8 the the innoocnee of hil Prisoner. B. Weisa imperial and aupt authori.tJ for all who shows conclusively how much light t~ on. xvm.1-40.] 'flIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BT. JOHN. 397