Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Chi-ias Burial in the Garden. JOHN XX. Mary's Visit to ihe Scpvchre, own friends had the least reason to think that the spark of life was still in Him, would they have done this? But even if one could conceive them mistaken, could any one have lain thus enveloped for the period during which He was in the grave, .and life still remained? Inipossilde. When, therefore. He wallced forth from the tomb, we can say with the most absolute certainty, "Now is ehrist risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept !" (1 Corinthians 15. 20.) No wonder that the learned and the barbarians alike were preparijd to die for the name of the Lord Jesus; lor such evidence was to the unsophisticated resistless. (No mention is made of awyuiiiij; in this operation. No doubt it was a hurried proceeding, for fear of interruption, an<l because it was close on the sabbatli, the women seem to have set this as thl-ir proper the Roman soldier, is manifest ; and our Evangelist uses the exactly corresponding word, wliich tiie HepLuagint certainly does not. Very (Jifferent is tJie other word tor "pierce" in Fsalm 22. 16, " They pierced my liands and my feet." The •word tliere used is one signifying to <(ore as with an awl or hammer. How striking are tliese small niceties ! 3840. Josepli €>f Arlmathea— " a rich man" (Matthew 27.
57), thus liilfilliug Isaiah 5.'!. 9; "an honourable counsellor (a member of the Sanhedrim, and of good condition), whicli also waited for the kingdom of God" (Mark 15. 43), a devout expectant of Messiali's kingdom; " a good man and a just, the same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them" (Luke 2:^. 50, 51— lie had gone the length, perhaps, of dissenting and protesting in open council against the condemnation of our Lord); "who also himself was Jesus' disciple" (Matthew 27. 57). being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews—" He went in boldly unto Pilate" (Mark 15. 4:5)—^lY., ' having taken courage went in,' or 'had the boldness to go in.' Mark alone, as his manner is, notices the boldnesx which task "as soon as the sabbath should be past" (Mark Hi. 1). But as the Lord graciously held it as undesignedly anticipated by Mary at Bethany (Mark 11. 8), so this was probably all the anointing, in the strict sense of it, wlilch He received.) 41, 44. Now in tlte place wiiere he was crucifted tiiere was a g.irden, and in the garden a new sepulclire—The choice of this tomb was, on t/ieir part, dictated by the double circumstance that it was so uear at hand, and by its belonging to a friend of Ihe Lord ; and as tiiere was need of haste, even they wouUl be struck with the providence which thus supplied it. "Tiiere laid they Jesus therefore, because of the Jews' preparation-day, lor the sepulclire was nigh at hand." But there was one recommendation of it which probably would not strike them ; but God had it in view. Not its being " hewn out of a rock" (Mark 15. -16), accessible only at the entrance, which doubtless would impress them with its security and suitableness. But it was "a new sepulchre" (v. -11), "wlierein never man before was laid" (Luke 2.1. 5:}); and Matthew (27. 60) says that Joseph laid Him "in hix onn new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock"—iloubtless for his owu use, though the Lord had higher use fur it. Thus as He rode into Jerusalem on an a.ss " u hereon never man before had sat," so now He shall lie in a tomb wherein never man before had lain, that from these specimens it. may be seen that in all things He was "separate fkom SINNERS." this required. The act would without doubt identify him for the first time with the disciples of Christ. Marvellous it certainly is, that one who while Jesus was yet alive merely refrained from condemning Him, not having the courage to espouse his cause by one positive act, sliould, now that He was dead, and His cause apparently dead with Him, summon up courage to go in personally to the Roman governor and ask permission to take down and Inter the body. But if this be the tirst instance, it is not the last, that a seeminijty dead Clirist has wakened a symj Mthy which a living one had failed to evoke. The heroimi of faith is usually kindled by desperate circumstances, and is not seldom displayed by those who before were the most timid, and scarce known as disciples at all. "And Pilate marvelled
If he were"—rather 'wondered that he was' "already dead." "And calling the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while deail " — Pilate could hardly credit what Joseph had told him, that He had been dead "some time," and, before giving up the body to His friends, would learn how the fact stood from the centurion, wliose business it was to oversee the execution. "And when he knew it of the centurion," that it was as Joseph h.ad said, " he gave"—rather ' made a gift of " the body to Joseph;" struck, possibl)', with the rank of the petitioner and the dignified boldness of the petition, in contrast with the spirit of the other party and the low rank to which he had been led to believe all the followers of Christ belonged. Nor would he be unwilling to sliow that he was not going to carry tliis Ijlaek affair any farther. But, whatever were llate's motives, two most blesse<l objects were thus secure<l: (1.) The reality of our Lord's death was attested by the party of all others most competent to decide on it, and certainly free from all bias —the ol Mcer in attendance—in full reliance on whose testimony Pilate surrendered the body: (2.) The dead Redeemer, thus delivered out of the hands of His enemies, Bnd committed by the supreme political authority to the care of His friends, was thereby protected from all further
CHAPTER XX.
Ver. 1-18. Mary's Visit to the Sepulchre, axd Return TO IT WITH Peter and John—Her Risen Lokd Appears to Her. 1, 2. The lirst day cometh Mary Magdalene ea»-ly, &c.—See on Mark 16. 1—1; and Matthew
28. 1, 2. She riutneth and contetii to Simon Peter, and to the otlier disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto tliein, Tliey have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre—Dear disciple! thy dead Lord is to thee "The Lord" still. 3-10. Peter therefore went fortli, and that other disciple, and came llrst to the sepulclire, &c.—These particulars have a singular air of artless truth about them. Mary, in her grief, runs to the two apostles who were soon to be so closely associated in proclaiming the Saviour's resurrection, and they, followed by Mary, hasten to see with their own eyes. The j-ounger disciple outruns the elder; love haply supplying swifter wings. He stoops, he gazes in, but enters not the open sepulchre, held back probably by a I'everentlal fear. The bolder Peter, coming up, goes in at once, and is rewarded with bright evidence of what had happened, seetik the linen clothes lie ('lying') and the napkin, that wag about his head, not lying with the linen clotlies— loosely, as if hastily thrown down, and iiidicalive of a hurried and disorderly removal — but wrapped (or 'folded') together in a place by itself—showing with what grand tranquillity "the Living One" had walki!d forth from "the dead" (Ijuke 21.5). 'Doubtless Ihe two attendant angels [v. 12) did this service for tlie Rising One, the one disposing of the linen clothes, the otlu'r of the napkin.' [Bknoel.] Tlion went in that other disciple which came first to Ihe sepulchre—The repetilion of this, In eonnecrtion wilh his not having gone in till after Peter, seems to show that at t he moment of penning these words the advantjigc? whicli tjiicli of these lovinj! hulignities; a thing most befitting indeed, now that His work was done, but impossible, so far as we can see, if His enemies had bec-n at liberty to do with Him as they pleased. How wonderful are even the minutest features of this matchless History! also Nlcodcinus (which mt Ihe tirst eamc to Jesus by nigiit)— ' Th is remark corre Kponds to tliesecrcsy of Joseph's disciplesliip, just noticed, and calls attention to the similarity of their previous character and conduct, and the remarkable change wiiieh had now taken pliice.' [Webstek and Wilkinson.] brought inyrrli i<ii(l aloes, about an hunilreil pounds welglit—an immense quantity, betokening the greatness of their love, but part of it probably intended :\s a layer for the spot on which ( he body was to lie. (See 2 Chronicles
Hi. 11.) [Mi':yI':i(.J tlien took titey tite body of Jesus, and wound it In linen clotlies with the spiers, as tlic Hiiinner of tlie Jews is to bury—the mixed and pulvei-|/,ed myrrh and aloes shaken Into the tolds, iiud the entire body, thus swathed, wrapt In an outer cdvering of "clean linen cloth' (Matthew 27. oU.) Had the Lord's 168
Jesw Appeareth to Mary. JOHN XX. Se Appears also to the Dimpies.
How dost thou raise these titles with thyself! At first they were thy servants; then disciples; a little before thy death, tliey were thy friends ; now, al ter tliy resurrection, they were thy brethren. But oh, mercy without measure how wilt tliou, how canst thou call them bretliren whom, in thy last parting, thou foundest fugitives? Did they not run from thee? Did not one of them rather leave his inmost coat behind him than not be quit of tlieu? And yet thou sayest, 'Go, tell my brethren ! It is not iu the power of the sins of our Infirmity to uiibrotlier us.' [Bishop Hall.] I ascend unto my Father and your Fatlier, and [toj my <xod and your God—woi ils of incomparable glory! Jesus had called God habitually His Father, and on one occasion, in His darkest moment. His disciples had of the other was present to his mind, and be saw and believed—Probably he means, though he does not aiy, that he believed in his Lord's resurrection more immediately and certainly than Peter. For as yet tbey knew (t. e., understood) not the Scripture tUat Ue must rise again from tlie dead, &c.—In other words, they believed iu His resurrection at first, not because they were prepared by Scripture to expect it; bat facts carried resistless conviction of it in the first instance to their minds, and furnished a key to the Scripture predictions of it. 11-15. But Mary stood wlt Uout at tlie sepulchre weeping, &c.—Brief was the stay of those two men. But Mary, arriving perhaps by another direction after they left, lingers at the spot, weeping for her nrissing
God. But both are here united, expressing that full-orbed relationship which embraces in its vast sweep at once Himself and His redeemed. Yet, note well. He says not, CiOrd. As she gazes through her tears on ttie open tomb, she also ventures to stoop down and look into it, when lo! " two angels In white" (as from the world of light, and 0«J' Father and owr God. All the deepest of the Church fathers were wont to call attention to this, as expressly designed to distinguish between what God is to Him and to us His Father essentially, ours not so: our God essen-
Bee on Matthew 28.3) appear to her In a "sitting" posture, 'as having finished some business, and awaiting some one to impart tidings to.' [Bengei,.] one at tUe head, and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain—not merely proclaiming silently tlie entire charge they had had of the body of Christ [quoted in LuTHARDTj, but rather, possibly, calling mute attention tially. His not so : His God only in connection with us : our God only in connection with Him. 18. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto hei —To a woman was this honour given to be the first that saw the risen Redeemer, and that woman was not His mother. (See on Mark 16. 9.) to the narrow space within which the Lord of glory had contracted Himself; as if they would say. Come, see within what limits, marked ofi" by the interval here between us two, tfie Lord lay ! But she is in tears, and these 19-23. Jesus Appears to the Assembled Disciples 19-33. The same day at evening, tlie lirst day of the week, the doors being siiut where tSic disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus—plainly not by the ordinary way of entrance-and saith, Peace b« unto you—not the mere wish that even His own exalted peace might be theirs (ch. 14. 27), but conveying it into their hearts, even as He "opened their understandings to understand their Scriptures" (Luke 24. 45). And when he had so said, he showed them his hands and Ills iide— not only as ocular and tangible evidence of the reality of His resurrection (see on Luke 24. 37-43), but as through "the power of that resurrection" dispensing all His peace to men. Then were the disciples glad wlicn they saw the lK>rd. Then said Jesus—prepared now to listen to Him in a new character. Peace be unto you. As my Fatf»er hatli sent me, so send I you, &c.—See on ch. 17. 18. he breathed on them—a symbolical conveyance to them of the Spirit, and saith. Receive ye the Holy Ghost—an earnest and first-fruits of the more copious Pentecostal effusion, whosoever sins ye remit they arc remitted unto tliem, &c.—In any literal and authoritative sense this suit not the scene of so glorious an Exit. They are going to point out to her the incongruity. Woman, why weepest thou?—You would think the vision too much for a lone woman. But absorbed in the one Object of her affection and pursuit, she speaks out her grief without fear. Because, <tc. g. d.. Can I choose but weep, when "they have taken away," &c., repeating her very words to Peter and John. On this she turned herself and saw Jesus Himself standing beside her, but took Him for the gardener. Clad therefore in some such style He must have been. But if any ask, as too curious interpreters do, whence He got those habiliments, we answer [with OLSUArrsEjf and Luthardt] where the two angels got theirs. Ifor did the voice of His first words discover Him —"Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?" He will try her ere he tell her. She answers not the stranger's question, but comes straight to her point with him. Sir, If thou have home him hence—borne tvhomf Bhe says not. She can think only of One, and thinks others must unders Uind her. It reminds one of tlie question of the Spouse, "Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?" (Song of Solomon 3. 3.) tell me where thou hast laid him, and X will take him away—Wilt thou, dear fragile woman ? But it is the language of sublime aflectiou, that tliinks itself fit for anything If once in possession of its Object. It is enough. Like Joseph, He can no longer restrain Himself. (Genesis 45. 1.) 16, 17. Jesus saith unto her, Mary :—It is not now the distant, though respectful, "Woman." It Is the oft-repeated name, uttered, no doubt, witli all the wonted manner, and bringing a rush of unutterable and overpowering associations with it. She turned herself, and salth to him, Rabboni I—But that single word of transported recognition was not enough for woman's full heart. Not knowing the change which had passed upon Him, she hastens to express by her action what words failed to clothe; but she is checked. Jesus saith unto her. Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father—Old familiaripower was never exercised by one of the apostles, and plainly was never understood by themselves as possessed by them or conveyed to them. (See on Matthew 16. ]9.) The power to intrude upon the relation between men and God cannot have been given by Christ to His ministers in any but a ministerial or declarative sense—as the authorized interpreters of His word, while in the actings of His ministers, the real nature of the power committed to them is seen in the exercise of church discipline.
24-29. Jesus again Appears to the Assembled Disciples. 24, 25. But Thomas (see on ch. 14. 16) was not witik them when Jesus came—why, we know not, tliough we are loth to think [wltlj Stier, Alfokd ami LuTHAltDT] it was intentional, from sullen despondency. The fact merely is here stated, as a loving apology for his slowness of belief. We have seen the Lord—This way of speaking of Jesus (as v. 20 and 21. 7), so suited to his resurrection-state, was soon to become the prevailing style. Except I see In his hands the print of tite nails, and put my finger Into the print of the nails, and thrnst my hand Into his side, I will not believe—The very form of this speech betokens the strength of the unbelief. 'It ties must now give place to new and more awful yet sweeter approaches; but for these the time has not come yet. This seems the spirit, at least, of these mysterious words, on which much difference of opinion has obtained, and not much that is satisfactory said. But go to my brethren—(Cf. Matthew 28. 10; Hebrews 2. 11, 17.) That ho had still our Humanity, and therefore "is not ashamed lo call us brethren," is Indeed grandly evidenced by these words. But It Is worthy of most reverential nois not. If I shall sec I shcdl believe, but. Unless I shall see I will not believe; nor does he expect to see, although the others tell him they had.' [Bengei,.] How Christ Himself viewed this state of mind, we know from Mark 16. 14, " He upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart because they believed not them which had seen tice, that we nowhere read of any one who presumed to call Him Brother. "My brethren:" Blessed Jesus, who are these ? Were they not thy followers 7 3'ea, thy forsakers
IVte Inci'cdtdity and Confession of Thomas. JOHN XXI. Cliris(s Third Appearance to Hix Disciples, Him after He was risen." But whence spratit; tliis pertinacity of resistance iu such minds? Not certainly from reluctance to believe, but as in Nathanael (see on eh. 1. -16) from mere dread of mislake in so vital a matter. 3G-^9. And after elglit days i. e., on the 8th, or first day of tne preceding week. Tliey probably met every day during the preceding week, but their Lord designedly reserved His second appearance amongst them till tlie recurrence of His resurrection-day, tliat He might thus inaugurate the delightful sanctities of the Lord's Day (Revelation selves to their secular employment, they would be unprepared to expect Him. Children—This term would not necessarily identify Him, being not unusual from any superior; but when they did recognize Plim, they would feel it sweetly like Himself, have ye any meat I— ' provisions,' ' supplies,' meaning ^i?t. they answered, No— This was in His wonted style, making them tell their case, and so the better prepare them for what was coming, he said unto them. Cast the net on tlie right side of the ship—no doubt, by this very specific direction, intending to reveal to tliem His knowledge of the deep and power over it. 7-11. that disciple whom Jesus loved, said. It
1. 10). tlie disciples were witliiii, and Tlaoinns with them . . . Jesus stood In tlic midst, und saltli, Peace be tuito yon. Tlien saltU lie to Tlioinas, litacli Uitlier is the Lord—again having the advantage of his brotlier in quickness of recognition (see on ch. 20.8), to be followed by an alacrity in Peter all his own. he was naked—his vest only on, worn next the body, cast himself into the sea — the shallow part, not more than a hundred yards from the water's edge (v. 8); not meaning therefore to swim, but to get sooner to Jesus than in the full boat wliich they could hardly draw to shore, the other disciples came in a little ship — by ship, they saw (' see') a Are of coals, and llgh laid thereon, and bread— By comparing this with 1 Kings 19. (j, and similar passages, the unseen agency by which Jesus made this provision will appear evident. Jesus salth unto tliem. Bring of the fish ye have €^augllt—Observe the double supply thus provided—His and theirs. The meaning of this will perhaps appear presently. Peter went up—into the boat ; went aboard, and drew the net to land full of great flslies, an hundred and iltty and thiee ; and for all tliere were so many, yet was not the net broken—The manifest reference here to the former miraculous draught, Luke 5. 1-H, furnishes the key to tliis .scene. There the draught was symbolical of the success of their future minisiry: While "Peter and all that were with him were astonished at the draught of the fishes which they had taken, Jesus said unto him, Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men." Nay, when first called, in the act of "casting their net into the sea, for they were fishers," the same symbolic reference was made to their secular occupation : " Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4. IS, 19.) Here, then, if but the same symbolic I'eference be kept In view, the design of the whole scene will, we think, be clear. T:he multitude and the size of the fishes //icy caught symbolically foreshadowed the vast success of their now fast approaching ministry, and this only as a beginning of successive draughts, through the agency of a Christian ministry, till, "as the waters cover the sea, the earth should be full of the knowledge of the Lord." And whereas, at the first mir.iculous draught, the net " was breaking" through the weight of what it contained—expressive of the dijfflculty with which, after they had "caught men," they would be able to retain, or keep them from escaping back into the tctw-^d—while here, "for all they were so many, yet was not the net broken," are we not reminded of such sayings as these (chap. 10. 28): "I give unto my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand?" [Luthakdt.] But it is not through the agency of a Christian ministry that all true disciples are gathered. Jesus Himself, by unseen methods, gathers some, who afterwards are recognized by the constituted fishers of men, and mingle with the fruit of their labours. And are not these symbolized by that portion of our Galilean repast which the fishers found, la some unseen way, made ready to their hand? I'i-l*. None durst ask him, 'Who art thou, knowing it was the Lord—Implying that they would have liked llirn Just to say, "It is 1;" but having such convincing evidence they were afraid of being "upbraided for their unbelief and haidiiess of heart" if they ventured to put (he (juestlon. Jesus takcth [the] bread, and giveth thriti, and . , . behold . . , put it into my side, and be not faithless, Imt believing—'There is something rliythmical in these words, and tliey are purposely couched in the words of Thomas himself, to put him to shame.' [Luthardt.] But with what condescension and gentleness is tliis done! Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God:—That Thomas did not do what Jesus invited him to do, and what he liad made the condition of his believing, seems plain from v. 29 (" Because thou hast seen me thou hast believed"). He is overpowered, and the glory of Christ now breaks upon him in a flood. His exclamation surpasses all that had been yet uttered, nor can it be surpassed by anything thatever will be uttered in earth or heaven. On the -striking parallel in Nathanael, see on ch. 1.49. Tlie Socinian invasion of the supreme divinity of Clnist here manifestly taught—as if it were a mere call upon God inaUt of astonisliment—is beneath notice, save for the profanity it charges upon this disciple, and the straits to which it shows themselves reduced, because thon liast seen me thou hast believed—words of measured commendation, but of indirect and doubtless painfully-felt rebuke: q.d., 'Thou hast indeed believed; it is well: itisoulyon the evidence of thj' senses, and after peremptorily refusing all evidence siiort of that.' Blessed they that have not seen and yet liave believed—'Wonderful indeed, and ricli in blessing for us who have not seen Him, is this closing word of the Gospel.' [Alford.]
SO, 31. First Close of this Gospel. The connection of these verses witii the last words of v. 29 is beautiful: q.d., 'And in<leed, as the Lord pronounced them blessed who not having seen Him have yet believed, so for that one end have the whole contents of this Gospel been recorded, that all who read it may believe on Him, and believing, have life in that blessed name.' many other slgis—miracles. But these are written—as sufficient specimens, the Christ, the Son of God—the one His offleial the other Hi.s personal title, believing, may have life—See on ch. 6. 51-54.
CHAPTER XXI.
Ver. l-'23. Suppi-ementaky Particulars. [That this chapter was added by another hand has been asserted, against clear evidence to tlie contrary, by some late critics, chiefly because the Evangelist had concluded his part of the work with ch. 20. 30, 31. But neither in the Epistles of the New Testament, nor In otlier good authors, is it unusual to insert supplementary matter, and so have more than one conclusion.] 1, H. Jesus slitowed (' manifested') himself again, and on this wise he manifested himself—This way of speaking shows tliat alter His resurrection He appeared to them but occusioiu Uly, imexpccledlj/, and in a way quite unearthly, though yet really and corpm-eally. Nathanael—See on Matthew 10.3. 3-6. Peter saith unto them, I go atishing—See on Luke
5. 11. that night cauglkt nothing—as at tlie first miraculous draught (see on Luke 5.5); no doubt so ordered tliat the miracle might strike tliein the more by contrast. Tlie same principle Is seen In operation throughout much of Christ's ministry, and is indeed a great law of Uod's spiritual procedure with His people. Jesus stood—Cf. ch. 20.
[tliej flsh likewise—See on Luke 24. 30. This is the third lime that Jesus showed himself ('was manifested') to his disciples—his assembled disciples; for if we reckon His appearances to Individual disciples, they were more. 15-17. When they had dined, Jesus salth—Silence appears to have reigned during the meal; uubrokou on 19, 213. but the disciples knew not it was JesusI'erhaps tliero had been some considerable interval since the laat manifestation, and having agreed to betake them170
Peter Commanded to Feed the Sheep. JOHN XXL TJce Final Close of John's Goxjiel. upon him by dying for ms Miister. And, indeed, bryond doubt, this prediction was intinded to follow up his triple restoration:—'Yes, Simon, tliou shall not only feed my. lambs, and tVed my sheep, but after a long career of such service, sh.ilt be counted worthy to die for the name of the Lord Jesus.' And when he had spoken this, he saltli unto htm, Follow me—By thus connecting the part., that by their mute observation of Him tlity might have their assurance of His identity the more confirmed mid ontheirs, from reverential shrinking to speali till He did. Sliiton, son of Joiia.^, lovest tliou me more tUan thciiel—referring lovingly to those sad words of Peter, Shortly before denying his Lord, "Though all men shall b« o<l'eniled because of tliee, yet will I never be of Tended" (Matthew 20. 83), and intending by this allusion to bring the whole BC>!ue vividly before his »nind and put him to shame. Yea,Ijord; tlion Uaowcst that 1 love tliee—He adds not, "'nore than these," but preti.fes a touching appeal to ths Saviour's own omniscience for the truth of utterance of tliis prediction with tlie invitation to follow Him, the Evangelist would indicate the deeper sense in which the cull was understood, not merely to go along with him at that moment, but to come after Him, " taking up hii eroxx." iiO,til. Peter, tuiiilng altout showing that he followed immediately as directed, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following ; whicit also leaned on Jesus' l>reast at [the] supper, and said, Lord, which is he thnt betrayeththeel—The livangelist makes these allusions to the peculiar familiarity to which he had been admitted on the most memorable of all occasions, perhaiKS lovingly to account for Peter's somewhat forward question about him to Jesus; which is the rather probable, as it was at Peter's suggestion that he put the question about the traitor which he here recalls (ch. 18.24, his protestation, which makes it a totally different kind of speech fiom his former, he saltli unto liim, Feed my lambs—It Is surely wrong to view this term as a mere diminullve of affection, and as meaning the same tiling as " the siieep." [Wkbster and Wilkinson.] It is much more according to usage to understand by tlie "lambs" young ami tender disciples, whether in age or Christian standing (Isaiah 40. 11 ; 1 John 2. 12, 13), and by the " sheep" the more mature. Shall we say [with many] that Peter was here reinstated iu office? Not exactly, since he was not actually excluded from it. Butaftersuch conduct as 25). Peter saith to Jesus, Lord, and wliat [shall] this man [do]?—'What of this man?' or, How shall it fare with li Lin? H'i, tt'i. Jesus saith to him. If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to theel follow thou me—From the fact that John alone of the Twelve survived the destruction of Jerusalem, and so witnessed the commencement of that series of events which belongs to " the last days," many good Interpreters think that this is a virtual prediction of fact, and not a mere suppositloji. But this is very doubtful, and it seems more natural to consider our Lord as intending togive?iopoi'iZit;e indicdti of John's fate at all, but to signify that this was a matter whicli belonged to the Master of both, who would disclose or conceal it as He thought proper, and that Peter's part was to mind his own affairs. Accordingly, in "follow thou me," the word "thou" is emphatic. Observe the absolute disposal of human life which Christ claims : " jy / tvili that he tarry till I come," itc. Then went this saying abroad among tlie brethren, that that disciple should not die— into which they the more easily fell from the prevalent expectation that Christ's second coming was then near at hand, yet Jesus said not unto liim. He shall not die—The Evangelist is jealous for His Master's honour, which his death might be thought to compromise if such a misunderstanding should not be corrected. his, the deep wound which the lumour of Christ had received, the stain brought on his oltice, the damage done to his high standing among his brethren, and even his own comfort, iu prospect of the great work before him, required some such renewal of his call and re-establisliment of his position as this. lie saItU to him the second time . . . Lovest thou me, &c.—In this repetition of tlie question, though the wound was meant to be re-opened, the words " more than these" are not repeated; for Christ is a tender as well as skilful Physician, and Peter's silence on that point was confession enough of his sin and folly. On Peter's repeating his protestation in the same words, our Lord rises higher In the manifestation of His restoring grace. Feed (or 'keep') my sUeep—It has been observed that the word here is studiously changed, from one signifying simply to feed, to one signifying to 'tend' as a shepherd, denoting the abiding exercise of that vocation, and in its highest functions, hesalth unto lilm the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest tliou met Peter was grieved because he said tlie tliird time, &c.— This was the Physician's deepest incision into the wound, while yet smarting under the two former probings. Not till now would Peter discern the object of this succession of thrusts. The third time reveals it all, bringing up Buch a rush of dreadful recollections before his view, of his " thrice denying that he knew Him," that he feels it to the quick. It was fitting that he should; it was meant that he should. But this accomplished, the painful dialogue concludes with a delightful "Feed my sheep;" as 24, 25. Final CLasE of this Gospel. This is the disciple wliicli testifietli of these things, and wrote these things—thus identifying the author of this book with all that it says of tliis disciple—we know that his testimony is true—Cf. cli. 10. 35. And there are many other things which Jesus did—Cf. ch. 20. 30, 31. if written every one, I suppose—an expression used to show that what follows is not to be pressed too far. even tlie world itself would not hold tlie books, &c.—not a 7nere hyper* bolical expression, unlike the sublime simplicity of this writer, but intended to let his reader know that, even now that he had done, he felt his materials so far from being exhausted, that he was still running over, and could multiply "Gospels" to almost any extent within the strict limits of what "Jesus did." But In the limitation of these matchless Histories, in point of number, there is as much of that Divine wisdom wliich has presided over and pervades the living oracles, as In their varietj/ and fulness. if He should say, 'Now, Simon, tlie last speck of the cloud which overhung thee since that night of nights is dispelled: Henceforth thou art to me and to my work as if no such scene had ever happened.' 18, 19. When thou wast young—embracing the whole period of life to the verge of old age. thou girde«lst thyself, and walkedst whither timu wouldest—wast thine own master, when old tliou Shalt stretch foi-th thine hands— to be bound for execution, though not necessarily meaning wi a Clots. There is no reason, however, to doulit the very early tradition that Peter's death was by crucifixion. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God—not, therefore, a mere prediction of ILe manner of his death, but of the lumour to he conferred
TIte Miracles of Christ. JOHN. The Parables of Chnat.
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST.
On the order of some of our Lord's Miracles and Parables, the data being scanty, considerable difference obtaint.
Where WRonanT.
Whire Recorded.
MlBACLIB.
John 2. 1-11. John -2. 13-lT. John 4. 46-54. Luke 5 1-11. • Matt. 8. 2-t ; Mark 1. 40-45 ; Lake 5. 12-15. Matt. 8. 5-13 ; Luke 7. 1-10. Luke 7. 11-17. Mark 1. 21-28 ; Luke 4. 31-37, Matt. 8. 14, 15 ; Mark 1. 29-.31 ; Luke 4. 3S, 39. Matt. 9. -2-8 ; Mark 2. 1-12 ; Luke 5. 17-26. John 5. 1-10. Matt. 12. 10-14 ; Mark 3. 1-6; Luke 6. 6-11. Matt. 12. 22-24 ; Luke 11. 14. Matt. 8. 23--27 ; Mark 4. 35-41 -, Luke 8. 23-25. Matt. 8. 28-34 ; Mark 5. 1-20.
Cana Jerusalem Cana Sea of Galilee Capernaum Capernaum Nain , Capernaum Capernaum Capernaum Jerusalem Galilee Galilee
Water made wine Traders cast out of the temple Nobleman's son healed
First niiraculons draught of fishes Irfper healed - Centurion's servant healed "Widow's sou raised to life Demoniac healed Peter's mother-in-law healed. Paralytic healed Impotent man healed Man with withered hand healed Blind and dumb demoniac healed Tempest stilled Demoniacs dispossessed Jalrus' daughter raised to life Issue of blood healed Two blind men restored to eight, Dumb demoniiic healed Five thousand miraculously "fed
Sea of Galilee Gadara Capernaum ) Near Capernaum J Capernaum Capernaum Dccapolis Sea of Galilee Coasts of Tyre and Sidon. Decapolis Decapolis
Matt. 9. 18-26 ; Mark 5. 22-24 ; Luke 8. 41-56.
9. 27-31,
Matt. Matt. Jtatt. Matt. Matt. Mark
9. 32-34.
14. 13-21; Mark 6.31-14;
Luke 9. 10-17 ; John 6. 5-14. John 6. 15-21.
14. 22-33; Mark 6.45-.V2;
walks on the sea Syro-phneniciau's daughter healed,... Deaf and dumb man healed Four ihousanil fed Blind man restored to sight Demoniac ami lunatic boy healed Miraculous provision of tribute The eyes of one born blind opened Woman, of 18 years' infirmity, cured. Dropsical man healed Ten lepprs cleanscii Lazarus raised to life Two blind beggars reftored to sight Barren fig tree blighted „ Buyers and sellers again cast out Malc hus' ear healed Second dniught of fishes
15. 21-28 ; Mark 7. 24-30.
7, 31-,37.
15. 32-39 ; Mark 8, 1-9.
Jlatt. Mark Matt. Matt. .John Luke Luke Luke John Matt. Matt. Luke Malt. John, Bethsaida Near Ca-sarea Philippi Capernaum Jerusalem [Perea.l [Perea.J Borders of Samaria Bethany Jericho Bethany , Jerusalem Gethsemane Sea of Galilee
8. 2-2-26. Mark 9. 14-29
Luke 9. 37-43 17.14-21; 17.24-27.
14. 1-6, 17.11-19,
11. 1-46.
Mark 10. 46-52 ; Luke 18, 35-4S. Mark 11, 1-2-24,
20. 29-34
2I.1'2, 13, 18,19; 19. 45, 46. 26. 51-.'i4 ; Mark 14. 47-49 ; Lnke 22. 50, 51 ; John 18. 10, IL
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE PARABLES OF CHRIST.
Where Spokes.
Where Recorded.
Parables,
Luke 7. 40-13. Matt. 12. -29 ; Mark 3. 27 ; Luke 11, 21, 22, Matt, 12, 4;i-45 ; Luke 11. '24-26, Matt. 13, 3-9, 18-23 ; Mark 4, 3-9, 14-20 ; Luke 8, 6-8, 11-16. Matt. 13. 24-30, 36-43, Matt. 13. 31, 32 ; Mark 4, 30-32 ; Luke 13, 18, 19. Mark 4, 26-'.'9. Matt. 1.3, ,•?;!; Luke 13,20, 21. Matt. 13. 44. Matt, 13. 45, 46, Matt. 13, 47-50. Matt. IS. -21-35, Luke 10. -29-37, Luke n.bS. Luke 12, 16-21. Luke 13. r)-9. Luke 14,15--24. Matt. 18. 1-2-14 ; Luke 15.3-7. Luke 15. 8-10. Luke 15. 11-32. John 10. 1-18.
The two debtors The strong man armed The unclean spirit The sower The tares and wheat The mustard seed The seed growing secretly The leaven , The hid treasure The pearl of great price The draw net - The unmerciful servant The good Samaritan The friend at midnight The rich fool « , The barren fig tree The great supper '£he lost shu(!p The lost piece of money The jirndigiil son The good shepherd The unjust steward _ The rich man and I.a/.aru9 , The pnifitalde servants The importunate widow The Pharisees and publicans The labourers in the vineyard-. The pounds The two sons The wicked husbandmen The marriage of the king's son. The ten virgins The talents
[Capernaum,] Galileo Galilee Sea-shore of Galilee Sea-shore of Galileo. Sea-shore of Galilee. Sea-shore ()f Galilee. Sea-shore of OaMee. Sea-shore of Galilee. Sea-shore of Galilee. Sea-shore of Galilee. Caperoamn Near Jerusah'm Near Jerusalem Galilee Galilee
Porea , Perea Porea Perea Jerusalem
Luke 16. 1-8, Luke 16. 19-31. Luke 17. 7-10. Luke 18. 1-8, Luke 18,9-14, Malt. -211, 1-16. Luke 19.11--27. Malt. 21.-2S-32. Matt, -21. 3:j-44; Mark 12.1-12, Luke 20, 9-18, Matt, -22. 1-14. Malt. -25, 1-13, Matt. 25. 14-30, Perea Perea Perea Perea Perea Perea Joi ieho Jerusalem J(4rusalem Jerusalem Mount of Olives Mount of Olives
/iiiroduction. ACTS. hitrodviction
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.
INTRODUCTION.
This book is to the Gospels what the fruit is to the tree that bears it. In the Gospels we see the corn of wheat falling into the ground and dying : in the Acts we see it bringing fortli much fruit (John 12. 24). There we see Christ purchasing tlif Church with His own blood: here we see the Cliureh, so purchased, rising into actual existence; first among the Jews of Palestine, and next among the surrounding Gentiles, until it gains a footing in the great capital of the ancient world—sweeping majestically from Jerusalem to Rome. Nor is this book of less value as an Introduction to the Epistles which follow it, than as a Sequel to the Gospels which precede it. For wlthont this history the Epistles of the New Testament—presupposing, as they do, the historical circumstances of the parties addressed, and deriving from these so much of their freshness, point, and force—would in no respect be what they now are, and would in a number of places be scarcely intelligible.
The genuineness, authenticity, and canonical authority of this book were never called in question within the ancient Church. It stands immediately after the Gospels, in the catalogues of the Homologoumena, or universally acknowledged books of the New Testament (see Introduction to our larger Commentary, Vol. V., pp. iv. v.). It was rejected, Indeed, by certain heretical sects in the second and third centuries— • y the Ebionites, the Severians (see EusEBius, Ecclesiastical History, 4. 29), the Marcionites, and the Manicheans : but the totally uncritical character of their objections (see Introduction above referred to, pp. xiii. xiv.) not only deprives them of all weight, but Indirectly Bhows on what solid grounds tlie Christian Church had all along proceeded in recognizing this book.
In our day, however, its authenticity has, like that of all the leading books of the New Testament, been made in Germany the subject of keen and protracted controversy. First, De Wettk, while admitting Luke to be the author of the entire work, pronounces the earlier portion of it to have been drawn up from unreliable sources ('Einleitung,' 2 a and 2 C). But the Tubingen school, with Baur at their head, liave gone much farther. As their fantastic theory of the post-Joannean date of the Gospels could not pretend even to a hearing so long as the authenticity of the Acts of the Apostles remained unshaken, they contend that the earlier portion of this work can be shown to be unworthy of credit, while the latter portion is in flat contradiction to the Epistle to the Galatians—which this school regard as unassailable—and bears internal evidence of being a designed distortion of facts for the purpose of setting up the catholic form which Paul gave to Christianity in opposition to tlie narrow Judaic but original form of it which Peter preached, and which after the death of the apostles was held exclusively by the sect of the Ebionites. It is painful to think that one so lately deceased should have sijent so many years, and, aided by learned and acute disciples in different parts of the argument, should have expended so much learning, research, and ingenuity in attempting to build up a hypothesis regarding the origination of the leading books of the New Testament which outrages all the principles of sober criticism and legitimate evidence. As a school, this party at length broke up: its head, after living to find himself the sole defender of the theorjas a whole, left this earthly scene complaining of desertion ; while some of his associates have abandoned such heartless studies altogether for the more congenial pursuits of philosophy, others have modified their attacks on the historical truth of the New Testament records, retreating into positions into which it is not worth wliile to follow them, while others still have been gradually approximating to sound principles. The one compensation for all this mischief is the rich additions to the apologetlcal and critical literature of the books of the New Testament, and the earliest history of the Christian Church, which it has drawn from the pens of THIERSCH, Ebrard, and many otliers. Any allusions which it may be necessary for us to make to the assertions of this school will be made in connection with the passages to which they relate—In Acts, 1 Corinthians and Galatians.
The manifest connection between this book and the third Gospel—of which It professes to be simply the continuation by the same author—and the strilcing similarity which marks the style of both productions, leave no room to doubt that tlie early Church was right in ascribing it with one consent to Luke. The difficulty which some fastidious critics have made about the sources of the earlier portion of the history has no solid ground. That the historian himself was an eye-witness of the earliest scenes—as Huo concludes from the circumstantiality of the narrative—is altogether Improbable : but there were hundreds of eye-witnesses of some of the scenes, and enough of all the rest, to give to the historian, partly by oral, partly l)y written testimony, all the details which he has embodied so graphically in his history; and it will appear, we trust, from the commentary, that De Wette's complaints of confusion, contradiction, and error in this portion are without foundation. The same critic, and one or two others, would ascribe to Timothy those later portions of tlie book in which the historian speaks in the first person plural " we;" supposing him to have taken notes of all that passed under his own eye, which Luke embodied in his history Just as they stood. It is impossible here to refute this gratuitous hypothesis In detail ; but the reader will find it done by Ebuard (' Gospel History,' sect. 110, Clark's translation ; sect. 127 of the original work, 'Wissenschaftliche Krltik der Evangel. Geschichte,' IS.'iO), and by Davidson (' Introduction to New Testament,' Vol. II., pp. 9-21). The undesigned coincidences between this History and the Apostolic Epistles have been brought out and handled, as an argument for the truth of the facts thus attested, with unrivalled felicity by Paley in his 'Horse PaulintB,' to which Mr. Bikks has made a number of Ingenious additions in his 'Horse Apostolicse.' Exception haH been taken to some of these liy Jowett ('.St. Paul's Epistles,' Vol. I., pp. 108, &c.), not without a measure of reason in certain cases—for our day, at least—though even he admits that in this line of evidence the work of Palby, taken as a whole, is unassailable.
Muclfhas been written about the object of this history. Certainly ' the Acts of the Apostles' are but very partially recorded. But for this title the historian Is not responsible. Between the two extremes—of supposing tliat the work bas no plan at all, and that It is constructed on an elaborate and complex plan, we shall probably be as near the txuth us Is necessary if we take the design to ue to record tlie dlf Tiislou of Cl-irlstianlty and the rise of the Christlao