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e ver. 15.

f1 John ii. 24. Rev. iii. 20.

that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode

with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my g ver. 10. ch. sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but vii. 16; viii. the Father's which sent me. 25 These things have I 26 But the

v. 19, 38;

28: xii. 49.

h ver. 16.

Luke xxiv.

26: xvi. 7.

spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

49. ch.xv. Comforter, [s which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father i ch. ii. 22: xii. will send in my name, the shall teach you all things, and tbring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have

16: xvi. 13. 1 John ii. 20, 27.

r render, while yet abiding with you.

Somit : not expressed in the original. If any word is supplied, even would be

better.

t render, bring to your remembrance all things which I spake unto you.

the [brother] of James," in Luke vi. 16: see note on Matt. x. 3. Meyer remarks that the words not Iscariot are in reality superfluous, after ch. xiii. 30, but are added by St. John from his deep horror of the Traitor who bore the same name.

The question seems to be put with the Jewish idea, that the Messiah, the King and Judge of the nations, must necessarily manifest himself to the world.

[In

reference to the reading in the margin, "And how is it, &c.?", we may remark, that and, preceding an interrogation, expresses astonishment at what has just been said, and, assuming it, connects to it a conclusion which appears to refute or cast doubt on it.] how is it that] literally, What has happened, that...? 23, 24.] These verses contain the answer to the question in both its parts:"how is it, that Thou wilt manifest Thyself to us," because love to Christ, leading to the keeping of His word, is the necessary condition of the indwelling and manifestation in man of the Father and the Son;"how is it, that Thou wilt not manifest Thyself to the world?" because want of love to Christ, leading to neglect of His words, necessarily excludes from communion with the Father and the Son, and the Spirit, who reveals the Son in man. "The addition, we will come unto him, and make our abode with him, makes this incapacity still plainer and more deeply felt." Meyer. For (and meaning, hence you may infer what I am setting forth) the word which ye hear (and which the world keepeth not, but neglects), -is not Mine, but the Father's. On the gracious

and wonderful promise of ver. 23, see
Rom. viii. 15.
25-31.] His fare-
well, and the parting bequest of His Love.
25.] have I spoken is anticipatory,
referring, as "I said" (ver. 26), to the
futures, "shall teach," and "shall bring
to remembrance." Meyer supposes that a
pause took place here, and the Lord looks
back on what He had said to them. But
this does not seem so natural.

on them.

26. But as if He had said, 'I know that ye do not understand them yet: but' &c. the Holy Ghost] The Paraclete, or Comforter, is now more closely defined by this well-known Name, and, by the words, whom (which) the Father will send, and the pronoun He..., designated personally, as One sent, and One acting in my name] not, 'in My stead, but in regard of me-'in answer to My prayer, and prayers in My name, to those who bear My name,-and as a means of manifesting Me.' shall teach you all things stands by itself, not with "whatsoever I have said unto you:" shall teach you all things,-'all that can and may be learnt by you, all that belongs to your work and life in Me.' and bring all things to your remembrance] What is not understood is liable to be forgotten; and therefore in this word is implied the giving them a right understanding of, as well as recalling, what Jesus had said to them: see ch. ii. 22; xii. 16. It is on the fulfilment of this promise to the Apostles, that their sufficiency as Witnesses of all that the Lord did and taught, and consequently THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE GOSPEL NAR

Col. iii. 15.

said unto you. 27 * Peace I leave with you, my peace I k Phil. iv. 7. give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. 1 Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 1 ver. 1. 28 Ye have heard how m I said unto you, I go away, and m ver. 3, 18. come [again] unto you. If ye loved me, ye * would rejoice, because [ I said] I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you o ch. xiii. 19: before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 30 & Hereafter I will not talk much with you: Pfor the prince of

u not expressed in the original.
У omit.

a render, I will no more.

RATIVE, is grounded. 27.] This is introduced by ver. 25, which suggests the speedy close of the discourse. It was customary to take leave with wishes of peace:-so 1 Sam. i. 17: Luke vii. 50: Acts xvi. 36:1 Pet. v. 14:3 John 15. Also, to reassure by such words; see Gen. xliii. 23: Judg. vi. 23. But our Lord distinguishes His peace, true peace, 'the peace which I have and give' (see ch. xv. 11), from the mere empty word used in the world's form of greeting. Peace (in general) He leaves with them; -His peace He gives to them, over and above that other. The words, as the world giveth, must refer, I think, to the world's manner of giving, not to the unreality of the world's peace, of which, however true, there is no direct mention here. The world can only give peace in empty formulæ, saying Peace, peace,' when there is no peace: Jer. vi. 14 al. 28.] The

former part of the verse gives a reason why their heart should not be troubled; then the rest of the verse removes. all ground of fear, since it is an exaltation of Him whom they loved, which is about to happen; and therefore a ground of joy, and not of fear. my Father is greater than I] And therefore the going of Jesus to the Father is an advancement. This word greater, as Luther well remarks, is not here used as referring to the Nature or Essence of the Son as related to the Father, but as indicating that particular subordination to the Father in which the Lord Jesus then was, and the cessation of the state of humiliation, and entering into His glory, which would take place on His being received up to the Father. So also Calvin: "Christ is not here comparing the Divinity of the Father with His own, nor His human nature with the

n ver. 12. ch. xvi. 16: xx. 17.

xvi. 4.

this world cometh, and pcha xii. 31:

xvi. 11.

* render, would have rejoiced.
Z render, may.
b render, the.

divine essence of the Father, but rather
His present state with the heavenly glory
to which He was soon to be exalted."
And Cocceius: "The inferiority here is
not to be understood as meaning, accord-
ing to His human nature; for the words
point to an inferiority which would be laid
aside, on His going to the Father." And
this removes all reason for fear, as they
will be exalted in Him.
The whole
doctrinal controversy which has been raised
on these words (especially by the Fathers
against the Arians), seems not to belong
to the sense of the passage. That there is
a sense in which the Father is greater
than even the glorified Son, is beyond
doubt (see especially 1 Cor. xv. 27 f.); but
as on the one hand that concession is no
concession to Arianism, because it is not
in the essential being of the Son, but in His
Mediatorial office, that this His inferiority
consists, so on the other hand this verse
implies in itself no such inferiority, the
discourse being of another kind.
29.] I have told you-viz. 'the prophecies
of My Resurrection and Ascension,' &c.
ye may believe] See ch. xiii. 19,
where the words "that I am He" are sup-
plied. That ye may believe, in the fullest
sense of the word. "Not that they did
not previously believe Him to be the Son
of God: but then, when that was fulfilled
in Him, which He had before predicted,-
this their faith, which now, when he was
speaking to them, was small, and, when He
died, was almost extinguished, revived and
flourished." Augustine. See 1 John v. 13.

30.] I will no more talk much with you: then, as Stier remarks, He had some words more to say, and was not about to break off at ver. 31, as some have supposed. The necessity of the time broke off further words. the prince of this world] i. e.

q ch. x. 18. Phil. ii. 8. Heb. v.8.

hath nothing in me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

XV. 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husband

Satan:-not, Satan in Judas, but Satan himself, with whom the Lord was in conflict during His passion: see Luke iv. 13 (and note), and xxii. 53. hath nothing in me] i.e. as Augustine, "findeth no sin in Me." This is the only true interpretation: interpretation: has nothing in Me-no point of appliance whereon to fasten his attack. But Meyer well observes, that this is rather the fact to be assumed as the ground of what is here said, than the thing itself which is said. Tholuck, and many others render it, 'has no power over me,' or as Euthymius, finds nothing worthy of death.

31. But My Death is an act of voluntary obedience, that it may be known that I love and obey the Father-that the glory of the Father in and by Me may be manifested.' The construction is elliptic: supply, But (his power over Me for death will be permitted by Me) that,' &c. And the period should be at so I do, as in the text. Meyer and others would put only a comma here, and carry on the sense, But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, thus I do, arise, let us go hence.' I need only put it to the inner feeling of any who have learned to appreciate the majesty and calmness of our Lord's discourses, whether a sentence so savouring of theatrical effect is likely to have been spoken by Him. We may notwithstand ing safely believe that the words "Arise, let us go hence," without this connexion, do undoubtedly express the holy boldness of the Lord in going to meet that which was to come upon Him, and are for that reason inserted by St. John. Arise, let us go hence] These words imply a movement from the table to depart. Probably the rest of the discourse, and the prayer, ch. xvii., were delivered when now all were standing ready to depart. There would be some little pause, in which the preparations for departure would be made. But the place is clearly the same, see ch. xviii. 1, " when Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth :"-besides which, we can hardly suppose, as Grotius and others, discourses of a character like those in ch. xv. xvi. to have been delivered to as many as eleven persons, while walking by the way, and in time of such pul publicity that of the Paschal feast. Still less is the supposition of Bengel and Beausobre pro

a

as

bable,-that ch. xiii. xiv. happened outside the city, and that between ch. xiv. and xv. the paschal meal takes place. Compare also ch. xiii. 30, which is decisive against this idea.

CHAP. XV.1-27.] Injunction to vital union in love with Jesus and one another. 1-11.] Their relation to Him. Various circumstances suggestive of this similitude, of the vine and its branches, have been imagined; but none of them are satisfactory. The vineyards on the way to Gethsemane, -the carved vine on the great doors of the temple, a vine trained about the window of the guest-chamber, are all fanciful, and the two first (see on ch. xiv. 31) inapplicable. The cup, so lately partaken, is certainly nearer, -see below. But I believe that most probably the Lord did not take the similitude from any outward suggesting occasion, but as a means of illustrating the great subject, the inner unity of Himself and His. Occasion enough was furnished, by the Old Test. symbolism of the vineyard and the vine,Isa. v. 1 ff.; Jer. ii. 21; Ezek. xix. 10 ff., and especially Ps. lxxx. 8-19: by the intimate analogy of vegetable life (of which the tree bearing fruit is the highest kind, and of such trees the vine the noblest) with spiritual, and perhaps also by the fruit of the vine having been so recently the subject of their attention and the Lord's prophecy, Luke xxii. 18 and the parallel places. 1.] The Vine and branches stand in a much nearer connexion than the Shepherd and the sheep, or the lord of the vineyard and the vines; and answer to the Head and members in Eph. v. 23, 30; Col. ii. 19, linked together by a common organization, and informed by one and the same life. the TRUE vine] not only, 'the vine by which prophecy is fulfilled:' not only, 'the vine in which the organism and qualities of the vine are most nobly realized, but, as in ch. i. 9, the true, i. e. the original, or archetypal: that which served for the pattern of all such afterwards. The material creations of God are only inferior examples of that finer spiritual life and organism, in which the creature is raised up to partake of the divine nature; only figures of the true, Heb. ix. 24; "patterns (i. e. representa tions) of things in the heavens," ib. 23; the husbandman] Not

see ch. vi. 32.

bch. xiii. 10: Eph. v. 26. on Phil. i. 11:

xvii. 17.

Pet 1. 22. 1 John ii. 6. d Hos. xiv. 8.

man. 2 a Every branch in me that beareth not fruit a Matt. xv. 18. he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3be Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same f bringeth forth much fruit: & for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is *cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather

render, cleanseth.

d render, as above, e render, Ye are clean already by reason of. f render, beareth: the verb is one and the same throughout.

8 render, because apart from me.

only the tiller of the land, but the vineplanter and dresser; He who has originated the relation between the vine and branches by planting the Vine in this earth (the nature of man), and who looks for and ensures the bringing forth of fruit.

2.] The Vine contains fruitful and unfruitful branches. Who are these unfruitful branches? Who are the branches? Clearly, all those who, adopting the parallel image, are made members of Christ by baptism, Rom. vi. 3, 4; compare "planted together," ib. ver. 5, also Rom. xi. 17 ff. The Vine is the visible Church here, of which Christ is the inclusive Head: the Vine contains the branches; hence the unfruitful, as well as the fruitful, are in Me. Every such unfruitful branch the Father pulls off and casts away: and every one that beareth fruit He prunes, by cleansing it of its worthless parts, and shortening its rank growth, that it may ripen and enlarge its fruit better.

3.] clean, see ch. xiii. 10. In Eph. v. 26, we have both the washing by reason of the word, and the word itself, united. The word of Christ dwelling in them by Faith (see ver. 7) is the purifying principle (ch. xvii. 17). But the word clean here is not to be taken as equivalent to cleansed, or pruned, in the sense of ver. 2. The adverb now or already limits it to their present capacities and standing. There was more pruning at hand, when the sap should begin to flow, when the Spirit should be shed abroad; and this future handling of the husbandman is indicated by the command, "Abide in me." 4. And I in you must not be taken as a promise ("Abide in me, and then I will abide in

h render, they.

iv. 13.

e Matt. iii. 10: iv. 12.

vii. 19. Acts bear.

you"), which (see on ver. 2 above) would
be contrary to the sense: but as a clause
dependent on the former, 'Take care that
ye abide in Me and I in you: both these
being necessary to the bringing forth
fruit: see ver. 5, where the two are simi-
larly bound together.
Here the natu-
ral strictness of the similitude is departed
from. The branch cannot sever itself from
the vine: but, such a case supposed, every
one will see the inevitable consequence.
Bengel says well, "This passage plainly
shews the difference between what takes
place in nature and what takes place in
grace." It is the permitted free-will of
the creature which makes the difference
between the branches in the two cases.
5.] The interpretation of the alle-
gory which each mind was forming for
itself, the Lord solemnly asserts for them.
Notice the term the same-he and no
other: "it is he, that beareth much fruit."
The separation indicated in the last
clause of the verse is more than 'without
Me,' the words are best rendered apart, or
separate from Me, from beingin Me and I in
you. The word because has respect rather
to the sense, than to the words themselves:
because union with Me is the sole efficient
cause of fruit being produced, you having
no power to do any thing, to bring any
thing to perfection, to do any of those things
which belong to that which ye are, separate
from Me. 6.] This verse is a most im-
portant testimony against supra-lapsarian
error, shewing us that falling from grace
is possible, and pointing out the steps of
the fall. Observe this is not said of the
unfruitful branch, which the Father takes
away (in judgment): but of one who will

f ver. 16.

ch. xiv. 13,

14: xvi. 23.

g Matt. v. 16.

Phil. i. 11.

h ch. viii. 31:

xiii. 35.

i ch. xiv. 15, 21, 28.

k ch. xvi. 24:

xvii. 13.

1 John i. 4.

1 ch. xiii. 34.

them, and cast them into the fire, and they i are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall
ask 1 what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 & Herein
is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; hm 80 shall
ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so
have I loved you:
continue ye in my love. 10 i If ye
keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even
as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in

his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that This v9. my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be 121 This is my commandment, That ye love one

1 Pet. iv. 8.

1 John iii.

11: iv. 21.

full.

i render, burn. K read, ask (imperative). m read and render, and so shall ye become.

read, that ye bear much fruit, and become.

n render, as below, abide.

not abide in Christ, becomes separate from Him: (1) he is cast out (of the vineyard, or of the Vine) like a branch in such a case: (2) he becomes dried up, having lost the supply of life-giving sap ('quenched the Spirit,' 1 Thess. v. 19): (3) he is gathered up with other such (Matt. xiii. 40) by the angels at the great day: (4) is cast into the fire, as the result of that judgment; and finally (5) burneth; not, is burned,' in any sense of being consumed; "and must burn," as Luther renders it. 7.] All bringing forth fruit is the result of answered prayer for the assisting grace of God: and therefore the answer of all prayer is here promised to those who abide in Christ and have His word (Heb. vi. 5) abiding in them. The imperative is used by anticipation, of the future time. This not having been seen, it has probably been altered to the future, as in the A. V.: see ch. xiv. 13. whatsoever ye will, in the supposed case, is necessarily in the way of God's will, and as tending to bearing much fruit. 8.] Herein belongs to the following words, not the preceding: as in the text. The much fruit is not merely 'large success in the apostolic mission, but 'individual advance in bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit.'

According to the reading cited in the margin, the Father's glorification is continued by another result, and that ye may become My (true) disciples] "It is the foundation of being a Christian, to become a disciple of Christ: it is the completion of being a Christian, to be a disciple of Christ." Bengel. According to the reading with the verb in the future, the

1 render, whatsoever. Many ancient authorities

actual result of what precedes is stated:
and so ye shall become My disciples.
9.] The Love between the Father and
Christ is compared with that between
Christ and His disciples. As the Father
hath loved the Son, so the Son His disciples.'
The words my love may be under.
Me;-but

stood as meaning the love of
the sense is not good, and the expression
is not parallel with the same expression in
ver. 10; so that I prefer my love, the love
which I have towards you; remain in it; do
notcast yourselves out of it. The other sense
is implied in this, but not expressed.
10.] The way thus to remain is prescribed;
even that way of simple obedience to His
Will, which He followed to the Will of the
Father. On the words my love, see
above. 11. have I spoken] Again
anticipatory, hastening to the end of the
discourse, and treating it as ended.
my joy] not 'joy concerning Me, nor
'joy derived from Me, nor 'My joy over
you, but My joy, properly speaking (see 2
Cor. ii. 3, "My joy is the joy of you all"):
"His own holy exultation, the joy of the
Son in the consciousness of the love of
God, of His Unity with the Father: see
ver. 10." (Lücke.) and that your
joy might be full] That their joy might,
by the indwelling of that His Joy, be
uplifted and ennobled even to fulness,-
to the extreme of their capability and
satisfaction, and might remain so.
12-17.] Union in love with one another
enjoined on them. 12.] That He
may shew them that it is no rigid code of
keeping commandments in the legal sense,
ver. 11 is inserted, and now the command-
ment (as including all others) is again

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