John 8

Notes

Ver. 3-6. If he had encouraged them to stone her they might have reproached him with cruelty, in partially ordering a severe punishment against one no worse than the publicans and sinners with whom he conversed, or they might have accused him to the Roman governor as an usurper of judicial authority and an abettor of tumults. If he had declared against stoning her, or bade them refer the matter to the Roman governor, they hoped to incense the people against him as an enemy to the law of Moses and their liberty. 12. Having in myself all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, I am come into the world to direct both Jews and Gentiles into the way of life and salvation by my Word and Spirit. And whosoever believeth on me, and follows my direction and pattern, shall not go on in ignorance, error, sin, or misery, but have the saving light and comfort of a spiritual life here and eternal life hereafter. 13-19. Though it avails nothing, yet it is otherwise in the case of one who is light and truth itself, and whose original and commission are from God, and whose return is to him; of all which things ye are wilfully ignorant. Ye judge and condemn me only from carnal considerations and appearances; but I interfere with no civil judgment, and at present condemn or punish no man, but call sinners to repentance and salvation; and yet, though I were to pass or execute judgment, my sentence would be just and valid, on account of my oneness with, and commission from, my Father. Nor is my Messiahship destitute of sufficient attestation, since I myself, as a divine person, assert it; and my Father, by his prophets, and by his immediate declarations from heaven, as well as by many other signs, hath attested it. Notwithstanding repeated instructions, ye continue wilfully ignorant of my person and office, and of my heavenly Father, from whom I come to you. If ye had considered me as one in nature, counsel, and operation with him, ye would have seen his perfections shining forth in me, and discerned the relation in which he stands to me, as his Son and mediatorial Servant. 21-26. Knowing how eagerly they desired that he might be murdered before the time appointed by his Father, Jesus said to them, I will soon ascend back to my Father, and ye shall earnestly wish to have me among you to deliver you from your miseries, but shall die under the power and guilt of your sin, especially your rejection of me, and be rendered inexpressibly wretched, both in time and through eternity. Nor shall it be in your power to follow me into the heavenly state, either to bring me back, or to partake of my glory.—Being not only of an earthly origin, but of unregenerate hearts and carnal tempers, ye cannot have fellowship with me, who am divine, and whose affections are perfectly set on heavenly things; but on account of your obstinate refusal to embrace and acknowledge me as the promised Messiah and only Saviour, and other sins attending it, your city and nation shall be fearfully destroyed in this world, and yourselves for evermore terribly lost in hell. I still insist on it that I am the Son of God and promised Messiah. I could easily charge you with a multitude of crimes, and condemn you for them; but as that is not my present work, I only tell you that my Father infallibly performs all his promises concerning me and to me, and them that believe in me, and all his threatenings against those that reject me; and whatever I say to men is exactly according to the commission which I have received from his uncontrollable and awful authority. 28, 29. But however ignorant ye now are of me, when once ye have crucified me, and occasioned my exaltation to glory, either the happy influences of my Spirit, or the miseries on yourselves and nation, shall convince you that I act by my Father's authority, and have faithfully declared his doctrines, promises, and threatenings.—And meanwhile my Father, who is one with me in essence, continues with me the unmeasurable unction of his Spirit, and the tokens of his favour to me, as one who always acts agreeably to his will and for his honour. 31, 32. Jesus said to these weak or pretended believers, If ye really embrace and adhere to my holy doctrine, and subject your whole souls to it, ye shall be proved and owned to be my disciples in truth as well as in name; and ye shall be still further enlightened and confirmed in the certainty, excellency, and importance of my gospel; and by means of it be honourably delivered from everything inthralling, mean, or miserable. 34-36. Notwithstanding your haughty, and even notoriously false boasts of civil and religious freedom, I assure you that, be whose descendants you will, if ye indulge yourselves in the practice of wickedness, ye are slaves under the power of your lusts and the guilt of your sins; and as such all unbelieving Jews, though the natural seed of Abraham, shall be quickly excluded from God's church and favour; while I, the Son of God and eminent seed of Abraham, shall continue as Head of the church, and all true believers abide therein as members. If therefore I, who am the Son of God and Lord of my church, grant you my spiritual freedom, ye shall be really and eminently free from the guilt and dominion of sin, and from the law, as a covenant, and from burdensome ceremonies; and, in fine, free from all evil, and fully possessed of everything glorious and comfortable. 37-41. I know that ye are the natural descendants of Abraham; but ye are so far from being like him in his faith or obedience, that ye seek to murder me, merely because your own proud and carnal hearts cannot relish nor receive the holy, spiritual, and self-humbling doctrine which I preach unto you. I speak and act as one intimately acquainted with, and obedient to, God my Father; and ye act as under the influence of, and in communion and concert with, the devil as your true Father—a very sure evidence that ye are not the genuine and believing children of Abraham. 45-47. Not only do ye discredit the proofs of my Sonship and Messiahship, and the doctrines which I preach, but because I tell you truths which are spiritual and holy, disagreeable to your corrupt inclinations and interests, ye reject both me and them; and so perverse are you, that though ye cannot point out the smallest fault in my behaviour or doctrine, ye obstinately persist in your unbelief. From this it is evident that ye are not lovers of God, who are all of them desirous to know, and ready to receive and observe, whatever he speaks. 49-51. My continual and earnest study to advance the glory of my Father in the salvation of the people, fully manifests that in my work I am no way influenced or directed by the devil; nor am I solicitous about either your reproaches or your applause, as I know that my Father will secure me the regard of all faithful people, and will effectually vindicate my character, and punish all the indignities offered to it. And I solemnly assure you that whosoever heartily embraces and holds fast my spiritual and holy doctrine, in faith and obedience, shall be delivered from every real misery, and enjoy everlasting happiness. 56-58. So highly did your father Abraham esteem me, that he earnestly desired to see my appearance in the flesh, and exceedingly rejoiced in the foresight of it. How young soever I be with respect to my human birth, yet I existed from eternity as the unchangeable I AM.

Ver. 25. From the beginning. The original presents a greater difficulty than appears in the translation, John's customary phrase for 'from or at the beginning' being of very different construction. See ch.6.64; 8.44; 15.27; 16.4; 1 Jn.1.1; 2.7, &c. Paul, no doubt, uses a phrase for 'at the beginning' similar to that in the text; but the phraseology of John should rather be interpreted by his own writings. If so, the view of Augustine seems preferable: 'Believe me (ver.24) to be the beginning, head, or chief of all principality and power (see Col.1.18; Re.1.8; 21.6)—that which now I declare myself to you.'—C.

Ver. 33. We . . . were never in bondage. Some consider this statement a gross historical falsehood, as the Jews had been in bondage to the Egyptians, Philistines, Moabites, Babylonians, and now were subject to the Romans. But such glaring historical facts even Pharisees could not have ventured publicly to deny. The meaning is therefore to be sought in giving a distinctive emphasis to we; and, in point of fact, up till this period the Romans were rather arbitrators and protectors than masters. The Roman bondage did not properly commence till several years after our Lord's resurrection.—C.

Ver. 51. These words of our Lord are as literally true of the first as of the second death. That the believer never sees the second death, is unquestioned; but neither does he see the first. Death is literally not death to him. It is a serpent unstinged, an enemy conquered, a power destroyed. He thinks not of the world he is to leave behind, but the heaven to which he is removing, and the crown of righteousness and glory. He does not die, he but departs; he falls asleep in Jesus, and awakes in the morning of the resurrection, when death is swallowed up in victory, Ac.7.60; 1 Co.15.51-57; 2 Ti.4.6-8; He.2.14,15.—C.

Reflections.—There is great need of caution in dealing with malicious hypocrites. Very abominable is adultery, and richly deserving of capital punishment. But those who indulge themselves in it, or any like wickedness, are very unfit to be zealous prosecutors of the guilty. Many fear shame on account of sin more than damnation; and by fleeing from Christ, the merciful Saviour, wilfully destroy themselves. Now he is ready to pardon the greatest transgressions; but he will quickly be an inexorable judge. He is come into our dark world to reveal the method of salvation by the gospel, and to illuminate our hearts by his Spirit. Ignorant of and far from him, we shall certainly wander into everlasting perdition. But under his enlightening influence we shall avoid dangerous errors, be freed from spiritual slavery, and safely arrive at eternal life. Being a divine person, one with and sent by the Father, we may safely rest in and abide by his testimony. But no external evidence is sufficient to persuade a carnal heart. Many were the blasphemous contradictions which he endured in the cause of mercy and truth. While he was horridly insulted by the wicked, the hypocritical, the proud, and malicious children of Satan, as if he had been diabolical and mad. And great was the forbearance and meekness which he manifested in his own vindication. It looks ill when men are enraged by reproof. Unprofitable is descent from the most godly parents if we continue strangers to their faith and holiness. And it is base to boast of such while we obstinately persevere in our sins. It is impossible either to know or believe Christ's words while we remain hardened in carnal lusts and under the power of the devil. Yea, an empty profession of the true religion but tends to make our case still the more miserable. And if we drive Jesus the Saviour from us now, he will at last leave us in our sinfulness and ruin. But happy they who know his truth and have it abiding in their heart, who are conformed to his image, and desire after and delight in him! Thrice glorious their gospel-liberties, and unspeakable their eternal felicities.