you. 18 If the world hate you, ye | world, therefore the world hateth know that it hated me before it hated you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept Jews, and by the ostensibly most devout among the heathen idolaters. Acts iv. 13-21; v. 17, 18, 33, 40; xiii. 50; xix. 24-29. In short, Jesus and his 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the 10 himself as to them. They were not to waste their energies, by striving with each other for precedence, but faithfully to devote all their powers to the accomplishment of the great work assign-disciples were hated by the professedly ed them. religious, who could not abide the idea that he should interfere with their doctrines or ceremonies, rather than by the more openly careless or ungodly, who are now generally denominated the This was perfectly natural and the fact ought not to be overlooked or disregarded. 19. If ye were of the world, &c. The reason why they should be hated is here explained. If they had flattered the príde, justified the hypocrisy, and excused the ungodliness, of the world, if they had adopted the follies and vices of the world, they would not have been hated. But they had been instructed to do differently. They were to imitate their Master, and manifest their love for the world, by striving to reform the vicious; to convert men from the error of their ways; to purify their hearts from evil works; to eradicate their ambitious and proud hopes of a temporal dominion; to teach them to govern their own passions in all humility; to convince them that mere formal worship was unprofitable, and persuade them to worship God in spirit and in truth; to make them feel that love to God and love to man were indispensable requisites to true godliness. This was in direct opposition to the principles and practices of the world, and excited its hatred. ¶ Chosen you out, &c. See note on ver. 16. Jesus had selected them, and prepared them for the ministry to which he appointed them, by his instruction, by the force of his example, and by the influence of his spirit. T Therefore. 18. If the world hate, &c. The necessity of love and union was the more urgent, because so general and violent opposition was to be encountered. The gospel of Christ was designed to dis-world. place and overthrow existing institutions to which the world was much attached. And it required and enforced a degree of purity and spiritual devotion with which the world was unacquainted. The spirit of the gospel was opposite to the spirit of the world; hence the world hated both it and its promulgator; and its hatred was naturally transferred to his followers, after it had destroyed him. It may be worthy of observation, that, by the world in this place, is chiefly designated the professedly religious portion of the community; those who preserved a most commendable gravity of demeanor, and were most careful observers of forms and ceremonies, as a cloak to their inward impurity and corruption. The common people heard Jesus gladly, until they were deceived by their leaders and made to regard him as a blasphemer. Publicans, and sinners, and harlots, despised by the scribes and Pharisees as the very offscouring of the earth, lent a willing ear to his instructions, and many of them believed; but the proud and haughty rulers, vain of their own wisdom and formal godliness, hated him, and pursued him with unrelenting fury, until they had nailed him to the cross. This is evident from the whole current of the narrative contained in the gospels. See, for example, Matt. xxi. 31, 32; ch. xxiii.; Mark xii. 37-40; Luke xv. 1, 2; xxii. 2; xxiii. 35; John vii. 46-49; xi. 47-53; xii. 10, 11; xviii. 3. In like manner, the opposition which the apostles encountered was almost exclusively instigated by the scribes and Pharisees among the Because he had made them so much like himself, and so unlike the painted hypocrites, here denominated the world, it followed naturally that the world should hate them, even as it had hated him. 20. Remember the word, &c. See Matt. x. 24, 25. Jesus reminded his my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, disciples that they had previously been admonished of this hatred and opposition. And he repeated the declaration, that, while they cherished his spirit and imitated his example, they must expect to share in his success and his persecutions. The same class of men, who had hated and persecuted him, would hate and persecute them. And the same class, who had heard his word with patience and gladness, would listen in like manner to them. And the event verified the prediction. Among the Jews, scarcely any of the priesthood and their sycophants believed the testimony of the apostles; but they, and as many as they could deceive or control by their influence, persevered in the most bitter opposition, until destruction came upon them to the uttermost. Nearly all the converts among the Jews were from among the common people. And to a very considerable extent, the same holds true in regard to the heathen, in the apostolic age. But the reference is chiefly to the Jews; for among them only had Jesus labored, and by them only had he been persecuted. 21. For my name's sake. On my account. Because you are my friends, and partakers of my spirit. Because you obey my commands and execute the ministry to which I have appointed you. On account of this resemblance to me in your spirit and actions, they will persecute you as they have persecuted me. Because they know not him, &c. Because they will not understand that God has sent me on this mission of mercy to mankind. The Jews professed to know God; and in one sense they did know him; they recognized his existence, and acknowledged their obligation to obey him. But they mistook his character and designs. And especially they would not believe that he had sent Jesus as the Messiah,-one so humble, when they expected a glorious prince; one who reproved them for their vices, when they expected to be extolled for their formal piety; one who taught the impartial love of God and his design to save the world, when they expected not only to tread the Gentiles and sinners under foot in this because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin : world, but to have them excluded from their society in the world to come. The spirit of our Lord's instructions, and the character of his life and conduct, were so entirely different from their anticipations concerning the Messiah, that they utterly rejected him, and denied that God had sent him. See John vii. 28; viii. 19. 22. Spoken unto them. Proclaimed to them the will and character of God, and the duty and destiny of men. Probably Jesus here referred to the arguments he had offered in proof of his Messiahship; to that wisdom which none could gainsay or resist, which filled his hearers with astonishment, and caused them to exclaim, "never man spake like this man." John vii. 46. He had proved by irresistible arguments, and indeed the pure and divine nature of his doctrine furnished undeniable proof, that he came by appointment of God, to speak in his name. Upon all this evidence they had resolutely closed their eyes, and persisted in representing Jesus as an impostor. They had not had sin. That is, the particular sin of unbelief in the Son of God, and rejection of the offered blessing. Of other sins, they were mournfully guilty. That our Lord cannot be understood to speak of sinfulness generally, is manifest from the fact that all men were sinners before he personally addressed them or came into the world. Indeed, he came for the express purpose of saving them from their sins, and calling not the righteous but sinners to repentance. Matt. i. 21; ix. 13. But of the particular sin of unbelief the Jews became guilty, by hearing and rejecting his testimony. The privilege which they enjoyed, and which, if rightly improved, would have become a savor of life unto life, became a savor of death unto death through their misimprovement of it. 2 Cor. ii. 16. By this addition to their former sinfulness, their unbelief resulting in their utter rejection and crucifixion of Jesus, they filled the measure of their iniquity, and vengeance came upon them to the uttermost. Matt. xxiii. 32; 1 Thess. ii. 15, 16. Their punishment was proportioned to their offence. As their priv but now they have no cloak for | did, they had not had sin: but now their sin. 23 He that hateth me, hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man ileges for attaining light and purity exceeded those of other men, it was fitting that their retribution should be more exemplary. Such is the rule of divine justice. Luke xii. 47, 48. No cloak for their sin. No covering or excuse. They who never heard of Jesus might plead a sufficient excuse for not believing on him; for it is clearly impossible that any should believe, until the object of faith is presented to the mind. Not so the Jews: they saw Jesus; they heard his words of more than mortal wisdom and power; they listened to the arguments he urged in proof of his divine mission; and still they rejected him. They were without excuse, therefore, and their stubborn unbelief could not be concealed. have they both seen, and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated appealed to the works which God did by him, in proof that he was the Son of God. John xiv. 10, 11; See Acts ii. 22. There are men styled Christians, who deny the validity of the evidence arising from the miracles of Jesus. I remark, (1.) Either those who rejected that testimony and remained in unbelief were criminal, or they were not, on account of that rejection. If they were not, then the matter is wrongly represented here. If they were, then the evidence was good and conclusive. (2.) It follows, that to deny the validity of this evidence, is substantially to assert, either that Jesus did not understand what was and what was not good and sufficient evidence, or that he wilfully pronounced men inexcusably guilty for not believing upon what he knew to be unsatisfactory, It will be prudent for us to avoid casting such an imputation upon the wisdom or veracity of our Lord. It does not betoken an abundant degree of Christian humility, thus to impeach him in whom dwelt "the fulness of the Godhead bodily;" but may rather be regarded as the effect of that "philosophy and vain deceit," which spoifeth men. Col. ii. 8, 9. Far more wise, and prudent, and productive of humility and happiness, will it be, to cherish that teachable disposition, which shall induce us to look to our Master for instruction, and to place implicit confidence both in his wisdom and in his veracity. 23. He that hateth me, &c. As Jesus proclaimed the will of God, and exhib-insufficient, and inconclusive evidence. ited his character, being himself the bright and glorious image of the Father, hatred of him necessarily implied virtual hatred of his Father also. An insult to an ambassador is always regarded as an insult to the government which he represents; much more should hatred of the blessed Jesus be construed as hatred of the Father, since he was not only the Father's ambassador to men, but the representative also of his person and his glorious attributes. See Matt. x. 40; Mark ix. 37; John xii. 44-50. 24. If I had not done, &c. The evidence which Jesus exhibited of his Messiahship was two-fold, his words and his works. Either of these might have been sufficient; together, they furnished such conclusive evidence, that they who withstood its force, and remained in unbelief, were inexcusable. Of his words, or his teaching and his arguments, Jesus speaks in ver. 22; in this verse, of his works, or miracles. If he had not wrought such wonders, if he had not done in their sight such deeds as no man could do without divine assistance, their unbelief in him would not have been criminal; but having displayed before their eyes this testimony, they manifested their hatred of God, by rejecting it and hating Jesus. He confidently 25. This cometh to pass. Namely, their rejection of me, when the proof of my Messiahship is so ample and conclusive. There is nothing in the Greek, answering to this phrase. ¶ That it might be fulfilled. Thus are the words of David verified in my case, as well as in his. See note on Matt. ii. 15. It is not probable that the language here quoted was originally uttered as a prophecy of this event; but they are applied to it, by accommodation, according to a usual custom of the Jewish teachers. In their law. Ps. xxxv. 19. The whole of the Old Testament was sometimes denominated the law. me without a cause. 26 But when the Comforter is CHAPTER XVI. HESE things have I spoken come, whom I will send unto you unto you, that ye should not from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. 27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. They hated me without a cause. That is, without any proper cause; there was nothing in his character or conduct which deserved hatred. On the contrary it was lovely altogether. He came into the world with a message of grace. He labored unremittingly for the benefit of men. He went about doing good to their souls and their bodies. He healed their bodily diseases, and labored to enlighten their minds and to purify their hearts from sinfulness. He freely laid down his life for them, and promised to raise them to immortal life. Why then should they hate him? Why did they hate him? Because their own works were evil and his were righteous. 1 John iii. 12. No other reason can be assigned. His doctrine was disagreeable to them, because it came in collision with their proud, ambitious, and corrupt desires, and condemned their unrighteousness. But this was not a justifiable cause of hatred; for in striving to correct their mistakes and to convert them from sin to holiness, he was in fact, as well as professedly, laboring for their good. They had even no cause for their unbelief, inasmuch as he gave such conclusive evidence of his Messiahship, ver. 22, 24; and to this fact there is special reference here. Their hatred was connected with their unbelief, perhaps in a great measure the occasion of it. But they had sufficient evidence; and there was no good reason why they should disregard it. 26. Comforter, &c. See John xiv. 16, 17, 26. 27. Ye also shall bear witness. Shall testify; shall proclaim the gospel, and the evidence of its divine authority. They should be assisted to do so, by the spirit of truth speaking in them, ver. 26, and the spirit of power confirming their word with signs following. Mark xvi. 20; Acts ii. 43. T Because ye have been with me. By their long and intimate intercourse with him, they had be offended. 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service. enjoyed the opportunity of receiving his instructions and witnessing his miracles. They were therefore well prepared to bear testimony to the truth of the gospel and the divine mission of its author. See note, end of Matt. xxviii. ¶ From the beginning. That is, the beginning of our Lord's ministry. The word rendered beginning, is the same which occurs John i. 1; but whatever its ordinary import may be, it is here clearly limited to the ministry of Jesus; for from the commencement of this only, had the disciples associated with him. Matt. iv. 17–22; ix. 9; x. 1–4; John i. 35-51. See also Acts i. 21, 22. CHAPTER XVI. 1. These things. Namely, the things recorded in the three preceding chapters. ¶ That ye should not be offended. See note on Matt. xi. 6. The meaning is, that you should not be disheartened, discouraged, or in any manner induced to apostatize from the faith and from the ministry to which I have appointed you. He knew that many trials awaited his disciples. To secure them against stumbling and falling, or being offended, he held this long and earnest discourse with them, explaining the propriety of his departure, promising them spiritual aid in all their labors, and crowning all by the assurance that in due time he would receive them to himself, and admit them to an endless companionship in the presence of God. 2. They. That is, the unbelieving Jews; those who claimed to be the true followers of Moses and teachers of the law: the ecclesiastical rulers; but who believed not on Jesus. ¶ Shall put you out of the synagogues. Shall excommu nicate you from their religious body, and cut you off from their worshipping assemblies. T Whosoever killeth you. This has special reference to the Jews, who, having killed the Master, sought afterwards to slay his followers, that 3 And these things will they do | ye may remember that I told you unto you, because they have not of them. And these things I said known the Father, nor me. not unto you at the beginning because I was with you. 4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, 5 But now I go my way to him supposes to be heretics. And it is one of the best proofs that a man knows nothing of the religion of Jesus, when he is eminent for self-conceit in his own views of orthodoxy, and firmly fixed in the opinion that all who differ from him and his sect must of course be wrong." 3. These things, &c. That is, they will thus excommunicate and persecute you, ver. 2. Because, &c. See note on John xv. 21. 4. These things have I told you. That is, the trials and persecutions which they must encounter, including perhaps the encouragements narrated in the preceding chapters; the reference seems chiefly, however, to ver. 2, 3. thus they might crush the dangerous Ye may remember, &c. In the midst of their afflictions, they were to remember that he had predicted such events, and call to mind also the encouragements he had mingled with his predictions. In this manner were they prepared to meet their trials with more fortitude than if they had been encountered unexpectedly. Moreover, their faith in Jesus would be confirmed by this evidence of his prophetic character; and they would have reason to believe the more confidently that, as he had sent them forth, with such an accurate knowledge of what they must endure, he foresaw with equal certainty that the encouragements and assistance of the spirit, which he promised, should be effectual. At the beginning. John xv. 27. Jesus did not particularly describe these perils, nor the spiritual assistance which his disciples should afterwards experience, at the commencement of his ministry. He gave them early information that theirs should be a life of labor, of strife, of self-denial, requiring an abandonment of all which worldly-minded men hold dear. But he entered not then into particulars. ¶ Because I was with you. They needed not this minute instruction, then; for in all their difficulties and perplexities, he was near, to counsel and comfort them. See 5. Now I go my way, &c. I am now about to depart from you, ver. 23. As |