The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 495

hlo,P<l di~ciplc'• qufotmlc nnd BE'lf-po~ece- eensA, P<'mr too hllowod and tarl'led ILnd sinn. Cle:u·I)· the inquiry WIie not nltogether e.lx,<ie mt.h Christ till the dRy when ho was p!,·n-i11r: to the L<>rd, and. led him once tnkcn homt'. LulhRr<lt sugiraste that the rn"''" 1(1 reiternte the original injunction, Mying, as here given nud interpreted by Ii I will that he abide tllltil l oome, what John himself, not of physiool immortality, is thnt to thee 1 :Follow thou me. Do but nf the coming itself, is John's wo.y of t/1<•11 f,,110,~ me, 1uul cc.nee to inquire e.ftcr assorting tb11.t the Lord 1ta~ como; that in ano\hN's duty. l\reyor c.onsiclore that the the fo.11 of Jerusalem, A.D. 70, the destruc- ~•/1•cev is the opposite t,, a~oll.ou8,,v-1hat the tion of the theocracy, and the obvious este.b- lal\<'r word me11ne "following unto death lishment of the true kingdom in all tho wmld nn,1 martyrdom," while the former rnee.ne we.s the "coming," the ,rapoua-lcz, tho lpxoµ111, "In be prescn•ed alive," and tnmH t.o Phil, of which the Sa\"iour had always spoken. i. 25 r.nd 1 C-or. xv. 6 in vindication. Doubt- John "sees the coming of the Lord in tho.t k~s that was the crnde C'Xplo.no.tion which event." In this gonoral interpretntiou, Stier l<'d to the subseq1wnt legend oC his imtnol'- and Hengstcnbcrg concur. Westoott throws tnlity on earth, nnJ. tl,e apoetle's own dis- more light npon it by wisely emphasizing elnimcr; hut the word ,,,v,rv seems to be (fo,s fpxoµa,) the coming, not o.s one great used in eh. i. Si, 39, 40, nnd in many other event, but that continuous realize.lion of his places, of the complement and entire fulfil- retum which is the lofty privilege or fe.ith; mc1.t of the id.en n.nd practice of 41<oll.ou8,w- and shows thnt in numerous plnces ,.,s points, "f that nhiding in Christ which is the full not so much to the ultimate consummation; re.:ull of heartfelt following e.nd unquestion- as to the interval which will elapse between ing- submission to the Saviour's will (eh. xv. the commencement and the consnmmation 4. !i. IO; see also l John ii. 6, 17, 24, 26; of the coming (cf. eh. ix. 4 ; •xii 85 : Mark iii. :!-1; iv. 15). Taling with these pR&-m~es \"i. 45 (with ci,roll.6u); I Tim. iv, 19: Luke the corresponding nnd 11.ltcmutive nsc or the :dx. 2; M:1Ltt. v; 25).. How frequently has woi-cl to cn.:press the m:i.nnC'I' in which God, Christ spoken, in the ·1atest discourses, of trmh, or love "abides" in the child of God, coming ~n, to fill the sorrowing with joy, it would seem as though it were the key- to tench in the power of the Comforter, to note of much of John's most mo.ture e:i.- judge the. prince of this world, to raise pericncc-a fact "·hich is very remarke.bly and. quicken the den.d I Suoh abiding is the elucidated by tbc passnge ·before us. Baur, full issue of faithful follo1VU1g .. Surely two Hilgcnfeld, Schwegler, -Strause, ha'Ve urged types oC character pervade the whole dis~ from this pasmige that the writer wu con- pensation-thc Martha. nnd the Mory types; tending against the Pettine tendency in the the faithful servnnt who w'orlcs and tre.des Chnreh, by representing John as the higLer with his talents, and the virgin who waits and more distinguished 11.postle ; and, ac- for the Driilegmmn ; and these two types cording t.o Kiistlin, a precisely opposite ex- both meet with '1Lppropriate advice. Simori pressio,1 was conveyed by the unknown is bidden to follow, a.nd, occupied with busy writer, who meant t.o fia.tter the Roman cares or tho Church, leave result.a to Christ; primacy, in the second century, by the dig- bnt John, who has pa.seed into the sanctuary nities thus conferred upon the chief of the of holy love, is encoure.&'ed to rest patiently; ai,ostles. Both hypotheses 111'8 baseless. anu. in obscurity and silence, to glory and The beloved disciple quietly a.coepta here serve by "standing e.nd waiting." •• the rOle of .. abiding," "'waiting," "xesting Ver. 23.-We need not be surprised that in tLe Lord," and admits the superior energy the sublime meaning of these words, "Wait und constant initiation which Peter wos, ns while I e.m ever coming to him," should u man, constrained to pun;ne. There is no have been misunderstood. ' Therefore this j culousy between them. nor the hint of it. John word went • forth to •the brethren. TM 1·ecei ves mm·e than he a,;ks. " If I will that designation, " brethren,'' only occurs in eh: he abide till I come," etc., has been variously xx. I 7 a.nd Lnke xxii. 32. The more fa- interpreted (the condition is not a simple miliar ruunes of" disciples "and II children;'' supposition, there iJi a probability or uncer- " servants '' and "a.postles," ore used in the tainty in the period of the "11,biding "-the Gospels. 'The Acta and Epi!ltles introduce apodoais doolr.rea the as yet unuttered con- a new group of titles, e.g. .~believers" u dilinn to be without bearing on Peter's im- well o.s " brethren," " sliint.a·" as· well lllil mediat.e duty). Some have said tbnt it "<lisciples," "Christians," "ale.veil· and meD.Ill!, "If I ,rill that he enjoy the long sol<liers of 0hrist," "sous of God;" "priests life and the natmal death of one who resta a.nd kings," allll " little ohildren : " _bitt riow-, with Christ until he comes to take him e.cting on the Divine hint of the Lord's own homo by a quiet departure, until he oomes words, J oh.n speab of his fello1v-disci)>lei to receive him ID lrimself" (eh. xiv. 3. So who n:re called int.o the saored fellowship Ewuld and Olshe.11SeD). nis view is im- a,s •• brethren." The word went forth tlla1: !Jruba.ble, beeause most certainly in t:ha.t that dieciple dieth not ( ltcetvos, cquivnlcn$ cu. xu 1-25.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 51 l