John 21

Notes

Ver. 25. Certain. This is no hyperbole, a figure totally incompatible with the derivation of the Scriptures from 'the Spirit of truth.' To 'contain' a book is not to afford it room as an article of furniture, but to retain it in the memory and digest it in the judgment. In this sense, a minute and complete narrative of 'all that Jesus began to do and to teach,' Ac. 1. 1, with all the immediate bearings and effects of every word and action, would, instead of a portable volume suited to every man's time and capacity, have formed a library too voluminous for the leisure and study even of the most learned.—Written. These words form an incontrovertible evidence that the Scriptures (and not unwritten tradition or the church) are the true and infallible rule of faith. C.

**Reflections.—**Often repeated, miraculous, and manifest are the proofs of Christ's resurrection. And it is highly criminal to doubt of it after so many satisfactory documents. With what wonders of divine power, condescension, and kindness he shows himself to his people! He is often near them while they know it not, and is better to them than they expect; or even visits them before they look for him. The sight of him powerfully draws out the heart of penitent beholders. And neither danger nor death can restrain their running to him. He delightfully prospers the labours, notices the circumstances, and supplies the wants of all people. But if they have been ashamed of or in any way departed from him, their love to him must be thoroughly tried. Happy are they who can prove it by their superlative esteem of and faithful appeals to himself. And if we know that he first loved us, let our former falls lie heavy on our heart; and let us, without indulging vain curiosity, follow him through sufferings and death.—Without his direction ministers spend themselves in vain in fishing for souls; but under his guidance and influence multitudes are brought to him; nor can their gospel altogether fail. The weakest souls must be equally taken care of as the strongest. Nor can ministers ever truly manifest their love to Jesus without earnest care and labour to feed his lambs and sheep with his gospel provision. And blessed be the Lord that his own oracles have no uncertainties and need no human supplements. On their contents we may safely rest the eternal salvation of our souls.

Concluding Remarks on the Book of John.

The young student of the Greek language who attempts, in any degree, to become his own teacher, soon discovers some surprising difference between the style of John and that of the preceding evangelists. He can read his Gospel with comparative ease, while he finds the difficulties of the others nearly insuperable. This simplicity of construction forms a beautiful example of the teaching Spirit 'becoming all things to all men, that he might (instruct) some;' furnishing 'milk to babes,' while abounding in 'strong meat' for them who 'are able to bear it.' C.

The training of St. John under our Lord, his mental characteristics, and the circumstances under which he wrote this Gospel, have been sketched in the introduction. From the moment when, turning from the Baptist, he joined Jesus, he seems never to have left his side. He delighted in the contemplation of that nature which was all love and mercy. He hung with devoted attention on every word which fell from his lips. He endeavoured to fathom every truth set forth in those matchless discourses. In the intimacy of companionship he doubtless asked and prayed until the full light of divine truth flashed upon his mind. From Mary, too, after our Lord on the cross had committed her to his care, John doubtless derived much information. She who had watched her son with mingled affection and wonder from infancy could no doubt communicate to the beloved disciple many of those displays of wisdom, love, and power which she alone had witnessed. John was also impressed more deeply than any of his brethren with the promise of the Holy Spirit given during one of our Lord's last interviews with his disciples:— 'But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have done unto you. . . . When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come.' And John appears to have realized, in some respects at least, more remarkably than any of his brethren, the fulfilment of this promise, in the way in which he was able to record Christ's long discourses.

John's subsequent career is prophetically sketched in the close of the Gospel, ch. 21. 20-24. After the ascension John seldom appears in the great events of the church's history until near the close of his life. He was a man of contemplation rather than of action. His mind was in all probability absorbed in the study of the deep mysteries of gospel doctrine. He saw others better adapted for the external work of the church, and he was content, while aiding occasionally by his counsel, Acts 3. 1, 11; 4. 19-23; 8. 14-17. Paul speaks of him as one of the pillars of the church at Jerusalem, Ga. 2. 9. His subsequent career is only dimly shadowed in early church history. He is said to have remained in Judaea till the death of Mary relieved him from his sacred trust. Afterwards he seems to have gone to Ephesus, and to have settled there after the close of Paul's work. When he alone was left of all Christ's disciples, and when the trials of the infant church needed his aid, he came boldly forward as a champion of the truth. False doctrines began to spring up. The humanity of Christ was denied by some; the reality of his divine mission by others. A partial conformity to Judaism was advocated on the one hand; and an unholy alliance with idolatrous worship was tolerated on the other. With all these, and probably other forms of error, the aged apostle had now to battle. His profound knowledge of divine truth was now of advantage, and was set forth with equal clearness and simplicity in his Gospel. An age of controversy is apt to be an age of angry feeling. Theological disputes are generally productive of more bitterness than other disputes. But while John met error boldly, and refuted it fearlessly and effectively, he displayed and inculcated a love and gentleness such as could only be drawn from the heart of Jesus himself. He gave to the church and the world in his writings a divine exemplar of Christian controversy.

While John breathed the very spirit of love—while he affirmed that 'God is love'—that the substance of both Law and Gospel is love, the religion which he defended and developed was yet no mere sentiment. The love which John inculcated and exemplified was a love displayed in obedience to divine law, and in the full reception of divine truth. The character of John has been often greatly misrepresented. Christian art has in some degree contributed to this. 'The youthful feminine form which art has assigned to St. John, has served to remove from our minds the stronger features of his nature. Yet these may not be forgotten, for even in this aspect the eagle is his true symbol. His love was no soft feeling, but a living principle, an absolute devotion to truth, as he had seen and known it in the person of his Lord. He stands forth as the ideal of a thoughtful Christian, relentless against evil, and yet patient with the doubting. He tarried till the Lord came, and left his Gospel as the witness and seal of the accomplishment of the apostolic work.'

John was a close follower, and an ardent and enthusiastic imitator of Jesus. Christ's life, Christ's character, Christ's words, formed the constant subjects of contemplation and study. To him Christ was all in all. He sought wisdom from its highest source; he drew his love from the heart of his loving Master. In John we see the noblest powers employed in the noblest work; we see the highest genius consecrated to God; we see, too, his life-work crowned with the noblest reward. P.