Bibelkommentare

This chapter is a continuation of Christ's discourse with his disciples after supper. When he had convicted and discarded Judas, he set himself to comfort the rest, who were full of sorrow upon what he had said of leaving them, and a great many good words and comfortable words he here speaks to them. The discourse in interlocutory; as Peter in the foregoing chapter, so Thomas, and Philip, and Jude, in this interposed their thoughts upon what he said, according to the liberty he was pleased to allow them. Free conferences are as instructive as solemn speeches, and more so. The general scope of this chapter is in the Joh 14:1; it is designed to keep trouble from their hearts; now in order to this they must believe: and let them consider, I. Heaven as their everlasting rest, Joh 14:2,3. II. Christ himself as their way, Joh 14:4-11. III. The great power they shall be clothed with by the prevalency of their prayers, Joh 14:12-14. IV. The coming of another comforter, Joh 14:15-17. V. The fellowship and communion that should be between him and them after his departure, Joh 14:18-24. VI. The instructions which the Holy Ghost should give them, Joh 14:25,26. VII. The peace Christ bequeathed to them, Joh 14:27. VIII. Christ's own cheerfulness in his departure, Joh 14:28-31. And this which he said to them is designed for the comfort of all his faithful followers.

Christ comforts his disciples, on the event of his removal from them, by the consideration of his going to prepare a place for them in heaven, John 14:1-4. Thomas questions him concerning the way to the Father, and is answered, John 14:5-7. Philip proposes a difficulty, and Christ shows that he and the Father are one; that he is Mediator between God and man; and that whatsoever is asked in his name shall be obtained, John 14:8-14. He promises them the Holy Spirit as the Comforter and Spirit of truth, John 14:15-18. Shows them that he is shortly to leave them, and that those who love him should be loved of the Father, John 14:19-21. Jude asks a question, how Christ is to manifest himself to the disciples, and not to the Jews? John 14:22. Christ answers, and shows that the manifestation is to be made to those who love God, and to them the Holy Spirit is to be an infallible teacher, John 14:23-26. He bequeaths his peace to them, and fortifies them against discouragements, John 14:27-29. Foretells his approaching death, John 14:30, John 14:31.

“We come now to the last great discourse (14–17), which constitutes a striking and peculiar element in the Fourth Gospel … we cannot but recognise a change from the compact lucid addresses and exposition of the Synoptists.… This appears not so much in single verses as when we look at the discourse as a whole. In all the Synoptic Gospels, imperfectly as they are put together, there is not a single discourse that could be called involved in structure, and yet I do not see how it is possible to refuse this epithet to the discourse before us as given by S. John. The different subjects are not kept apart, but are continually crossing and entangling one another. The later subjects are anticipated in the course of the earlier; the earlier return in the later.” Comp. the spiral movement noticed in the Prologue, John 1:18.

“For instance, the description of the functions of the Paraclete is broken up … into five fragments (John 14:16-17; John 14:25-26; John 15:26; John 16:8-15; John 16:23-25).… The relation of the Church and the world is intersected just in the same way (John 14:22-24, John 15:18-25, John 16:1-3), besides scattered references in single verses.… We may consider the discourse perhaps under these heads: (1) the departure and the return, (2) the Paraclete, (3) the vine and its branches, (4) the disciples and the world.” S. pp. 221–232. On the discourses in this Gospel generally see the introductory note to chapter 3.

CHAPTER 14

Chap. 14. Christ’s love in keeping His own

CHAPTER 14

BEFORE πορεύμαι, John 14:2, ὅτι (Lachm. Tisch.) is decisively attested. Its omission is therefore to be explained from the fact that it was taken for the recitative ὅτι, as which it appeared superfluous, since the recitative ὅτι is so frequently passed over in the Codd.

John 14:3. καί before ἑτοιμ. is wanting in A. E. G. H. K. Δ. Curss., some Verss., Phot. Deleted by Matth. and Lachm. D. M. Curss. Syr. Cant. Theophyl. Euth.: ἑτοιμάσαι. This mechanical repetition from what precedes was the cause of the omission of the καί, which, however, is still very strongly attested by B. C. L. N. U. X. Λ. א. Vulg. It. and important witnesses.

John 14:4. οἴδατε, καὶ τ. ὁδὸν οἴδατε] B. C.* L. Q. X. א. 157, Copt. Aeth. Pers. p. Verc. have merely οἴδατε τ. ὁδόν. So Tisch., whilst Lachm. only brackets the καί and the second οἴδατε. The Recepta is an explanatory expansion; against it John 14:5 also witnesses.

John 14:5. δυνάμεθα τ. ὁδὸν εἰδέναι] Lachm. and Tisch.: οἴδαμεν τὴν ὁδόν, according to B. C.* D. Codd. It. Cyr. Tert., among which, however, a few (including D.) have τ. ὁδ. οἴδ. The Recepta is an explanatory expansion. John 14:7. ἐγνώκειτε ἄν] B. C.* L. Q. X. Curss. Cyr. Ath.: ἂν ᾔδειτε, or (X.) ᾔδ. ἄν. From John 8:19.

John 14:9. τοσοῦτον χρόνον] Lachm. Tisch.: τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ, according to D. L. Q. א. Cyr. The accusative is an unnecessary gloss.

John 14:10. αὐτὸς ποιεῖ τὰ ἔργα] Tisch.: ποιεῖ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, according to B. D. א. Rightly. The αὐτός, added in explanation, dislodged the αὐτοῦ, and that in such a way that it took its place (L. X.) in some instances, in others was placed before the verb.

John 14:11. After ἐμοί Elz. has ἐστίν. A supplementary addition against decisive testimony.

μοι at the end is rejected by Schulz, deleted by Tisch. It suggests the suspicion of being a mechanical repetition; besides, the omitting witnesses (amongst them Codd. D. L. א. 33) are sufficiently strong.

John 14:12. μου] is, according to preponderating evidence, with Lachm. and Tisch., to be deleted.

John 14:14 is entirely wanting in X. Λ. Curss., some Verss. Chrys. Nonnus; witnesses, however, which are too weak to permit us, with Rinck, to condemn it, especially since, on account of the similar beginning in John 14:14; John 14:16, and considering its superfluous character, it might very easily be passed over.

John 14:15. τηρήσατε] Tisch.: τηρήσετε, according to B. L. א. (?) Curss. Euseb. But the future readily arose from the entire surrounding.

John 14:16. μένῃ] B. L. Q. X. א. Codd. It. Goth. Copt. Syr. and several Fathers have ᾖ. So Lachm. (but, with B., after αἰῶνα) and Tisch. Rightly; μενῃ is a more closely-defining gloss from John 14:17.

John 14:17. ἔσται] Lachm.: ἐστίν, according to B. D.* Curss. Verss. Lucif. According as MENEI was taken as present (E. G. K. M. U. X. Λ.) or as future (Vulg.), ἐστίν or ἔσται may be written after it; hence it is only the preponderance of witnesses which decides, and this is in favour of the future.

John 14:20. Since the first ὑμεῖς stands in some of the witnesses after, in some before, γνώσ. (so, only bracketed in Lachm.), while in some it is entirely wanting (A. Verss. Fathers), it must be regarded as an addition.

John 14:22. Instead of καὶ τί, Elz. and Lachm. have merely τί, in accordance with preponderating evidence. But καί (which א. also has) might be readily passed over by clumsy copyists, especially, too, as the preceding κύριε might occasion its being overlooked.

John 14:23. ποιήσομεν] Lachm. and Tisch.: ποιησόμεθα, in accordance with important witnesses (D. also with ἐλεύσομαι κ. ποιήσομαι declares for the middle voice). Rightly; the middle, which John uses nowhere else, was unfamiliar to the copyists.

John 14:28. ἠγαπᾶτε] D.* H. L. and a few Curss.: ἀγαπᾶτε, to which Buttmann, in the Stud. u. Krit. 1858, p. 481 f., gives the preference. Too weakly attested; and how easily would a stumbling-block be found in the imperf., as denying love to the disciples!

Between ὅτι and πορεύομαι Elz. has εἶπον, against decisive witnesses. An interpolation in conformity with the preceding.

Joh 14:1-31.

DISCOURSE AT THE TABLE, AFTER SUPPER.

We now come to that portion of the evangelical history which we may with propriety call its Holy of Holies. Our Evangelist, like a consecrated priest, alone opens up to us the view into this sanctuary. It is the record of the last moments spent by the Lord in the midst of His disciples before His passion, when words full of heavenly thought flowed from His sacred lips. All that His heart, glowing with love, had still to say to His friends, was compressed into this short season. At first (from

Joh 13:31)

the intercourse took the form of conversation; sitting at table, they talked familiarly together. But when

(Joh 14:31)

the repast was finished, the language of Christ assumed a loftier strain; the disciples, assembled around their Master, listened to the words of life, and seldom spoke a word (only

Joh 16:17, 29).

"At length, in the Redeemer's sublime intercessory prayer, His full soul was poured forth in express petitions to His heavenly Father on behalf of those who were His own. It is a peculiarity of these last chapters, that they treat almost exclusively of the most profound relations--as that of the Son to the Father, and of both to the Spirit, that of Christ to the Church, of the Church to the world, and so forth. Moreover, a considerable portion of these sublime communications surpassed the point of view to which the disciples had at that time attained; hence the Redeemer frequently repeats the same sentiments in order to impress them more deeply upon their minds, and, because of what they still did not understand, points them to the Holy Spirit, who would remind them of all His sayings, and lead them into all truth

(Joh 14:26)"

[OLSHAUSEN].

1. Let not your heart be troubled, &c.--What myriads of souls have not these opening words cheered, in deepest gloom, since first they were uttered!

ye believe in God--absolutely.

believe also in me--that is, Have the same trust in Me. What less, and what else, can these words mean? And if so, what a demand to make by one sitting familiarly with them at the supper table! Compare the saying in

Joh 5:17,

for which the Jews took up stones to stone Him, as "making himself equal with God"

(Joh 14:18).

But it is no transfer of our trust from its proper Object; it is but the concentration of our trust in the Unseen and Impalpable One upon His Own Incarnate Son, by which that trust, instead of the distant, unsteady, and too often cold and scarce real thing it otherwise is, acquires a conscious reality, warmth, and power, which makes all things new. This is Christianity in brief.

Let not your heart be troubled - The disciples had been greatly distressed at what Jesus had said about leaving them. Compare John 16:6, John 16:22. Perhaps they had indicated their distress to him in some manner by their countenance or their expressions, and he proceeds new to administer to them such consolations as their circumstances made proper. The discourse in this chapter was delivered, doubtless, while they were sitting at the table partaking of the Lord's Supper (see John 14:31); that in John 15-16, and the prayer in John 17, were while they were on their way to the Mount of Olives. There is nowhere to be found a discourse so beautiful, so tender, so full of weighty thoughts, and so adapted to produce comfort, as that which occurs in these three chapters of John. It is the consolatory part of our religion, where Christ brings to bear on the mind full of anxiety, and perplexity, and care, the tender and inimitably beautiful truths of his gospel - truths fitted to allay every fear, silence every complaint, and give every needed consolation to the soul. In the case of the disciples there was much to trouble them. They were about to part with their beloved, tender friend. They were to be left alone to meet persecutions and trials. They were without wealth, without friends, without honors. And it is not improbable that they felt that his death would demolish all their schemes, for they had not yet fully learned the doctrine that the Messiah must suffer and die, Luke 24:21.

Ye believe in God - This may be read either in the indicative mood or the imperative. Probably it should be read in the imperative - "Believe on God, and believe on me." If there were no other reason for it, this is sufficient, that there was no more evidence that they did believe in God than that they believed in Jesus. All the ancient versions except the Latin read it thus. The Saviour told them that their consolation was to be found at this time in confidence in God and in him; and he intimated what he had so often told them and the Jews, that there was an indissoluble union between him and the Father. This union he takes occasion to explain to them more fully, John 14:7-12.

Believe in - Put confidence in, rely on for support and consolation.

Let not your heart be troubled - After having answered St. Peter's question, he addresses himself again to his disciples, and tells them not to be afflicted at his leaving them, nor to lose courage because of what he said concerning Peter's denying him; that if they reposed their confidence in God, he would protect them; and that, howsoever they might see him treated, they should believe in him more firmly, as his sufferings, death, and resurrection should be to them the most positive proof of his being the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

Ye believe in God, believe also in me - It is best to read both the verbs in the imperative mood: - Place your confidence in God, and in me as the Mediator between God and man, John 14:12-14; and expect the utmost support from God; but expect it all through me. The disciples began to lose all hope of a secular kingdom, and were discouraged in consequence: Christ promises them a spiritual and heavenly inheritance, and thus lifts up their drooping hearts.