But Jesus cried, and said: He that believeth in me, doth not believe in me, but in him that sent me.

“(Tr. liv. 2) He signifies to them that He is more than He appears to be, (for to men He appeared but a man; His Godhead was hid.) Such as the Father is, such am I in nature and in dignity; He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, i. e. on that which He sees, but on Him that sent Me, i. e. on the Father. [1He that believes in the Father must believe in Him as the Father, i. e. must believe that He has a Son; and reversely, he who believes in the Son thereby believes in the Father.] And again, if any one thinks that God has sons by grace, but not a Son equal and coeternal with Himself, neither does he believe 2on the Father, who sent the Son; because what he believes on is not the Father who sent Him. (c. 3.). And to shew that He is not the Son, in the sense of one out of many, a son by grace, but the Only Son equal to the Father, He adds, And He that seeth Me, seeth Him that sent Me; so little difference is there between Me and Him that sent Me, that He that seeth Me, seeth Him. Our Lord sent His Apostles, yet none of them dared to say, He that believeth on Me. We believe an Apostle, but we do not believe on an Apostle. Whereas the Only Begotten says, He that believeth on Me, doth not believe on Me, but on Him that sent Me. Wherein He does not withdraw the believer’s faith from Himself, but gives him a higher object than the form of a servant, for that faith.”

“Above, the Evangelist set forth the defect of those who did not believe at all; here he sets forth the defect of those who believed in secret, who were fainthearted, and first he sets forth their dignity; second he shows their defect, at the place "but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him"; third he hints at the root of the defect, at the place "for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God." Now the dignity of those who believed in secret is great, because they were rulers; and as to this he says: "Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed in him." As if he were to say: I have said that although he had worked such great signs before them, they did not believe in him; which indeed is true for the greater part, yet not so that none of them believed in him, for "of the rulers," namely of the people, "many believed in him"; one of whom was Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night, as is said above in chapter 3. Thus is fulfilled what is said in Psalm 46:10: "The princes of the peoples are gathered together with the God of Abraham." Thus too is shown to be false what the Pharisees said above in 7:48: "Doth any one of the rulers believe in him, or of the Pharisees?" The defect of these rulers is fainthearted timidity, whence he says "but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him": for as was said above in 9:22, the Pharisees had already agreed that if any man should confess him to be the Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Although they believed with the heart, yet they did not confess with the mouth. But their faith was insufficient, because, as is said in Romans 10:10, "with the heart we believe unto justice, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"; Luke 9:26: "For he that shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed." Now the root of their defect is empty glory; whence follows "for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God": for by publicly confessing they would have lost the glory of men, but by this they would have obtained the glory of God. But these men chose rather to be deprived of the glory of God, being unwilling to confess publicly, than to be deprived of the glory of men, desiring to glory in worldly things. Above, 5:44: "How can you believe, who receive glory one from another, and the glory which is from God alone, you do not seek?" Galatians 1:10: "If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Here he shows how Christ refuted the unbelief of the Jews, and first he shows the debt of believing; second he adds the fruit of faith, at the place "I am come a light into the world," etc.; third he threatens the unbelievers with punishment, at the place "and if any man shall hear my words, and not keep them, I do not judge him," and so on. But since vision follows upon faith, therefore as to the first point he first treats of faith; second of vision, at the place "and he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me." As to the first he says "And Jesus cried out," both on account of the greatness of the things to be said, and on account of the freedom of soul in rebuking sins: Isaiah 58:1: "Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their wicked doings." And he said: "He that believeth in me, believeth not in me, but in him that sent me," which indeed seems to imply a contradiction, for he says: "He that believeth in me, believeth not in me." For the understanding of this it must be known, first, according to Augustine, that this was said by the Lord in order to distinguish in himself the divine nature and the human nature. For since the proper object of faith is God, we can indeed believe that a creature exists, but we ought not to believe in a creature, but in God alone. Now in Christ there is a created nature and an uncreated nature. It is required, therefore, for the truth of faith, that our faith should tend toward Christ as regards the uncreated nature; and according to this he says: "He that believeth in me," namely in the person, "believeth not in me," as I am man, "but in him that sent me," that is, in me as I am sent by the Father; above, 7:16: "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." But according to Chrysostom it must be noted that the Lord says this only to hint at his origin. And it is a similar manner of speaking, as if someone drawing water from a river should say: this water is not the river's, but the spring's — it is not, that is, originally the river's, and so forth. Thus, then, the Lord says: "He that believeth in me, believeth not in me, but in him that sent me"; as if he were to say: I am not the principle of myself, but my divinity is from another, that is, from the Father: whence "he that believeth in me, believeth not in me," except insofar as I am from the Father. Next, when he says "and he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me," he treats of vision. Concerning which it must be known that just as the Father sent the Son to convert the Jews, so too Christ sent his disciples: below, 20:21: "As the Father hath sent me, I also send you." But none of the disciples dared to say, nor ought he to have said, that he was to be believed in; although he could have said that he was to be believed. For this could not have been without derogating from the one who sent him, because if they believed in the disciple they would cease to believe in the master. The Jews could therefore say that in the same way, since you are sent by the Father, he who believes in you ceases to believe in the Father. And therefore the Lord shows against this that he who does not believe in him does not believe in the Father: and this is what he says, "he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me." Vision is here spoken of not as bodily sight, but as the consideration of the true, which is through the intellect. Now the reason he that seeth the Son seeth also the Father is that he is in him through unity of essence. For a thing is said to be seen in another either because they are the same, or because they are altogether conformed. But the Father and the Son are the same in nature, and altogether conformed: for the Son is the image of the Father, unlike him in nothing; Colossians 1:15: "Who is the image of the invisible God"; Hebrews 1:3: "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the figure of his substance." And therefore, just as one believes in the Father, so too in me; below, chapter 14:9: "Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father also. Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?" As if he were to say: this is the reason why he that seeth me seeth also the Father, because the Father is in me, and I in him. Thus, then, appears the debt of faith, namely that faith should tend toward Christ inasmuch as he is God, just as toward the Father. He next shows the fruit of faith: and first he shows his own dignity and power, when he says "I am come a light into the world." How Christ is the light was explained above at 1:9: "It was the true light, which enlighteneth every man"; and at 8:12: "I am the light of the world." In this too he shows that he possesses the divine nature. For to be light is proper to God; other things are luminous, that is, participating in light; but God is light by essence; 1 John 1:5: "God is light, and in him there is no darkness." But because, as is said in 1 Timothy 6:16, he "inhabiteth light inaccessible, whom no man hath seen," we were unable to approach him: and therefore it was necessary that he himself should come to us. And this is what he adds, "I am come into the world"; namely, I am the inaccessible light, who snatch men from error, and dissolve the darkness of the intellect. Below, 16:28: "I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world"; above, 1:11: "He came unto his own," and so forth. Although the apostles are called light, Matthew 5:14: "You are the light of the world," yet not for the same reason as Christ: for they are light illuminated; although in some way, namely by ministry, they were illuminating. Nor was it fitting for any of the apostles to say "I am come a light into the world": because, when they came into the world, there was still darkness, and not light: for, as is said in Job 37:19, "we are all wrapped in darkness." Second he adds, saying, "that whosoever believeth in me, may not remain in darkness." Illumination, then, is the effect of faith; above, 8:12: "that whosoever believeth in me may not walk in darkness." "May not remain in darkness," namely of ignorance, of unbelief, and of perpetual damnation: by which it is clear that all are born in the darkness of sin; Ephesians 5:8: "you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord." Likewise in the darkness of ignorance; Job 3:23: "to a man whose way is hidden, and God hath surrounded him with darkness." And in the end, unless they are converted to Christ, they will be led into the darkness of perpetual damnation. He therefore who does not believe in me remains in darkness; above, chapter 3:36: "he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." The punishment of unbelievers he hints at, saying, "and if any man shall hear my words, and not keep them, I do not judge him": which they will incur through the condemnation of judgment. And first he sets forth the delay of judgment; second he pronounces that the judgment itself will come, at the place "he that despiseth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him"; third he shows the cause of the delay, at the place "the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." As to the first he does two things. First he sets forth the delay of judgment; second he assigns the reason for the delay. He says, then, as to the first, "and if any man shall hear my words, and not keep them, I do not judge him." It must be noted, then, that those are blessed who hear the word of God and keep it, believing inwardly in the heart, and carrying it out outwardly in work. But those who hear it and do not take care to keep it are made the more guilty by this; Romans 2:13: "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified"; and James 1:22: "Be ye doers, and not hearers only." And therefore, "if any man shall hear my words, and not keep them, I do not judge him." But this seems contrary to what is said above at 5:22: "the Father hath given all judgment to the Son": and therefore "I do not judge him" must be understood as meaning, for now. For it might be thought a weakness on his part, if he lets go those who despise him; and therefore he says that such men will be judged, but not now: for, as is said in Ecclesiastes 12:14, "all things that God hath made, he will bring into judgment"; and Job 19:29: "Flee ye from the face of iniquity, for the sword is the avenger of iniquities: and know ye that there is judgment." The reason for the doubt about the delay he adds, saying, "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." For the coming of the Son of God is twofold: one by which he comes as savior; the other by which he comes as judge. But since all were in sins, if he had come first as judge, he would have saved no one, for we were all children of wrath: and therefore it was necessary that he should come first to save believers, and afterward to judge both the faithful and sinners. And this is what he says: therefore I do not judge him now, because "I came not," namely in my first coming, "to judge the world, but to save the world"; above, 3:17: "For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him." Next, when he says, "he that despiseth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him," he foretells the judgment to come; as if he were to say: although those who do not keep my words are not judged now, nevertheless they will not escape unpunished, whoever they may be, because "he that despiseth me, and receiveth not my words," by believing and by fulfilling in work, "hath one that judgeth him." The reason for this is that if he does not receive his words, he despises the saying of God, whose word he himself is, just as one who does not obey the command of his lord. Job 19:29: "Flee ye from the face of iniquity, for the sword is the avenger of iniquities: and know ye that there is judgment"; Ecclesiastes 12:14: "All the works that God hath made he will bring into judgment, for every error"; Isaiah 33:1: "Woe to thee that despisest, shalt not thou thyself also be despised?"; 1 Kings 2:30: "But they that despise me, shall be despised." Next, when he says, "the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day," he assigns the cause of the delay of judgment, and first the cause of the delay of judgment is set down; second the sufficiency of this cause is assigned, at the place "because I have not spoken of myself." He says, then: I say that whoever is such a one has one that judges him. But who will this be? "The word," he says, "that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." Which is as much as to say, as Augustine says, as if he had said: I will judge him in the last day. For Christ expressed himself in his own word, he announced himself. He himself, then, is the word that he spoke: because he spoke of himself; above, 8:14: "And if I give testimony of myself, my testimony is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go." As if he were to say: this very thing that I have spoken to them, and which nevertheless they despised, will judge them. Acts 10:42: "This is he who was appointed by God to be judge of the living and of the dead: to him all the prophets give testimony." Now he shows the sufficiency of the cause, saying "because I have not spoken of myself," and first he shows it from the origin of the word; second from its dignity, at the place "and I know that his commandment is life everlasting." As to the first he does two things. First he excludes a falsehood; second he establishes the truth. Now the falsehood would be that the Son operates or speaks anything, or exists, from himself alone and not from another: for this would be to posit that the Son is not from the Father. And this is what he says: therefore I say that the word which I have spoken will judge them, because "I have not spoken of myself"; above, 5:19: "The Son cannot do any thing of himself"; and below, 14:10: "I speak not of myself." Now "I have not spoken of myself" means the same as: I was not born of myself, but of the Father, as if he were to say: I will judge him in the last day, appearing in the form of a servant; above, 5:27: "he hath given him power to do judgment, because he is the Son of man." But nevertheless I will not judge by human power, that is, because I am the son of man, but by divine power, because I am the Son of God. I will not, therefore, judge of myself, but from the Father, from whom I have the power of judging. He establishes the truth, saying, "but the Father who sent me, he gave me commandment what I should say, and what I should speak." From these words indeed, unless they are understood piously, occasion is plainly given for a twofold error. First, because he who commands is greater than the one to whom he commands: the Father, then, is greater than the Son. Second, because that which is given to someone was not possessed by him before it was given to him; and consequently he did not know it. If, then, the Father gives a commandment to the Son, it follows that the Son at some time did not have it, and consequently was ignorant of it: therefore something was added to him. The Son, therefore, is not true God. To this it must be known that all the divine commandments are in the mind of the Father, since the commandments themselves are nothing other than the reasons of things to be done. Just as, then, in the mind of the Father are the reasons of all creatures that are produced by God, which we call ideas, so too in it are the reasons of all things to be done by us. Just as, then, the reasons of all things are derived from the Father into the Son, who is the wisdom of the Father, so too are the reasons of all things to be done. Thus, then, the Son says: "but the Father who sent me, he gave me," inasmuch as I am God, "commandment," that is, he communicated through eternal generation, "what I should say," inwardly, "and what I should speak," outwardly: just as also our own word (if we wish to confess the truth) brings forth those things which the mind suggests. Chrysostom, however, expounds all this — namely, "if any man shall hear my words and not keep them, I do not judge him," etc. — differently, and more plainly, so that it is read: "if any man shall hear my words and not keep them, I do not judge him." For a man can be said to condemn another in two ways: either as judge, or as the cause of condemnation. For both the judge who pronounces sentence, and the homicide itself that was perpetrated, which is the cause of his condemnation, condemn the murderer to be hanged. He says, then, "I do not judge him," that is, I am not the cause of his condemnation, but he himself is; Hosea 13:9: "Destruction is thy own, O Israel" (that is, it is from thee); "thy help is only in me." And this is because "I came not to judge the world," that is, I was not sent to condemn, but to save. But shall not such a one be judged? Rather, yes, because "he that despiseth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him." Now who this one is that judges he shows, saying, "the word that I have spoken," heard by us, which will stand in the place of the accuser, "the same shall judge him in the last day"; below, 15:22: "If I had not come, and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin." That it is the word that he spoke which will judge them, he shows by saying, "because I have not spoken of myself." This indeed is not set down causally, but as it were materially, so that the sense is: you say that your word will judge him; but what is this word? That, namely, which I said, "because I have not spoken of myself," that is, which I have spoken from the Father, and the things which he gave me to say and to speak: otherwise, if I had spoken something contrary to the Father, or things which I had not received from him, and they had not believed me, they would have an excuse; but because I have spoken thus, it is certain that they have despised not only me, but also my Father. And according to this exposition, that which he said, "the Father who sent me, he gave me commandment what I should say and what I should speak," shows the sufficiency of the cause on the part of the dignity of the word itself. And first its dignity is set down, second the execution of the word itself is concluded. Its dignity indeed, when he says, "and I know that his commandment, I say, is life everlasting"; 1 John, last chapter, 20: "This is the true God, and life eternal." For the Son himself is the commandment of the Father. Or, it is life eternal, that is, leading to life eternal; Matthew 19:17: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Because, then, the Father gave me the commandment, which commandment indeed is life eternal, and I have come for this, that I might lead men into life eternal: therefore I carry out the commandment of the Father in all things. And this is what he says, "the things therefore that I speak, as the Father said unto me, so do I speak." Which, according to Chrysostom, is plain, so that the sense is: "the things that I speak," by preaching outwardly, "as the Father said unto me, so do I speak," that is, insofar as I have received knowledge from him: so that these words are understood of Christ according as he is man. But if they are understood, according to Augustine, of Christ according as he is the Son of God: how does the Father speak to him, since he himself is the Word? To this it must be said that the Father did not speak to him as though he had spoken by words to his own unique Word, but the Father spoke to the Son in the same way that the Father begot him, and in the same way that he gave him to have life in himself; Psalm 2:7: "The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son."”

“Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me (“only” as adds the Arabic version) but (also) on Him that Digitized by GUOQle 32 sent Me. It is uncertain whether Jesus said these words at the same time as those ^hich precede them (ver. 35), as Maldonatus thinks, i.e. before he hid Himself and withdrew (as I said, ver. 36), being there mentioned by anticipation, when in the regular order it should be placed at the end of the chapter ; or at another time, as Theophylact supposes. It is in fact a question to be solved. For Christ in these last three days of His life, came back in the morning to the Temple. But when He saw that some believed not, and that others believed but did not dare to profess their faith, for shame, and for fear of the Pharisees, He cried with a loud voice, to drive away this shame and fear : “ He that believeth in Me ” believeth not in a mere poor and wretched man, but in a man who is also God, and he therefore “ believes in God who sent Me,” in God the Father with Whom I am consubstantial. Be not ashamed of my poverty and humility, for though I am outwardly poor and humble, yet in my inward nature I am rich and highly exalted. For I am God of God. And therefore he that believeth in Me believeth in God. But what is more noble and glorious than to believe in God ? What can he fear or be ashamed of who believes in God? S. Cyril adds, " Jesus cried out, to signify that He did not wish to be worshipped in a cowardly and stealthy way, but that He wished us boldly and clearly to profess and proclaim the faith.” “ Again He cried out,” says Rupertus, “ because He had but little time left Him to preach in. He then who wishes to hear Me, to believe and be saved, should do so at once, for after three days no one will be able to hear Me.” And so S. Chrysostom says, “ Why do ye fear to believe in Me ? Faith in God comes through Me. Just as he who drinks the water of the river, drinks he not of the source ? ” And S. Augustine, “ Because the manhood only appeared to men, and the Godhead was latent, lest they should think Him to be only that which they saw (a man), and He wished Himself to be believed in (as God) the same and as great as the Father ; He saith, ‘ He that believeth in Me, believeth not in Me,* that is, in that which He seeth, ‘ but in Him who sent Me, that is, in the Father.* ” It is, however, quite plain that the Son is God, consubstantial with Digitized by Google BELIEVING IN GOD. 33 God the Father. The Arians denied this, and objected : He who believeth in the Apostles who were sent by God, believeth in God, and yet does not believe that the Apostles are gods. I reply by denying the conclusion. We believe the Apostles, but not in the Apostles. But Christ here says, “ He who believeth in Me, believeth in Him who sent Me.” But no one believes in any one, excepting in Him who is God. If, then, we believe in Christ, we believe that He is God : and since there is but one God, we believe that He is numerically the same God with God the Father. And therefore He says, “ He that believeth in Me, believeth in Him that sent Me ; ” He who believes in Me as God the Son, believes also in God My Father, for we have both one nature and one majesty. So SS. Augustine, Cyril, Theophylact, Euthymius, and others. Whence Christ adds, to make it clearer still”

“We have here the honour Christ not assumed, but asserted, to himself, in the account he gave of his mission and his errand into the world. Probably this discourse was not at the same time with that before (for them he departed, Joh 12:36), but some time after, when he made another public appearance; and, as this evangelist records it, it was Christ's farewell sermon to the Jews, and his last public discourse; all that follows was private with his disciples. Now observe how our Lord Jesus delivered this parting word: he cried and said. Doth not wisdom cry (Pro 8:1), cry without? Pro 1:20. The raising of his voice and crying intimate, 1. His boldness in speaking. Though they had not courage openly to profess faith in his doctrine, he had courage openly to publish it; if they were ashamed of it, he was not, but set his face as a flint, Isa 50:7. 2. His earnestness in speaking. He cried as one that was serious and importunate, and in good earnest in what he said, and was willing to impart to them, not only the gospel of God, but even his own soul. 3. It denotes his desire that all might take notice of it. This being the last time of the publication of his gospel by himself in person, he makes proclamation, "Whoever will hear me, let them come now." Now what is the conclusion of the whole matter, this closing summary of all Christ's discourses? It is much like that of Moses (Deu 30:15): See, I have set before you life and death. So Christ here takes leave of the temple, with a solemn declaration of three things: - I. The privileges and dignities of those that believe; this gives great encouragement to us to believe in Christ and to profess that faith. It is a thing of such a nature that we need not be shy either of doing it or of owning it; for, 1. By believing in Christ we are brought into an honourable acquaintance with God (Joh 12:44, Joh 12:45): He that believes on me, and so sees me, believes on him that sent me, and so sees him. He that believes on Christ, (1.) He does not believe in a mere man, such a one as he seemed to be, and was generally taken to be, but he believes in one that is the Son of God and equal in power and glory with the Father. Or rather, (2.) His faith does not terminate in Christ, but through him it is carried out to the Father, that sent him, to whom, as our end, we come by Christ as our way. The doctrine of Christ is believed and received as the truth of God. The rest of a believing soul is in God through Christ as Mediator; for its resignation to Christ is in order to being presented to God. Christianity is made up, not of philosophy nor politics, but pure divinity. This is illustrated, Joh 12:45. He that sees me (which is the same with believing in him, for faith is the eye of the soul) sees him that sent me; in getting an acquaintance with Christ, we come to the knowledge of God. For, [1.] God makes himself known in the face of Christ (Co2 4:6), who is the express image of his person, Heb 1:3. [2.] All that have a believing sight of Christ are led by him to the knowledge of God, whom Christ has revealed to us by his word and Spirit. Christ, as God, was the image of his Father's person; but Christ, as Mediator, was his Father's representative in his relation to man, the divine light, law, and love, being communicated to us in and through him; so that in seeing him (that is, in eying him as our Saviour, Prince, and Lord, in the right of redemption), we see and eye the Father as our owner, ruler, and benefactor, in the right of creation: for God is pleased to deal with fallen man by proxy. 2. We are hereby brought into a comfortable enjoyment of ourselves (Joh 12:46): I am come a light into the world, that whoever believes in me, Jew or Gentile, should not abide in darkness. Observe, (1.) The character of Christ: I am come a light into the world, to be a light to it. This implies that he had a being, and a being as light, before he came into the world, as the sun is before it rises; the prophets and apostles were made lights to the world, but it was Christ only that came a light into this world, having before been a glorious light in the upper world, Joh 3:19. (2.) The comfort of Christians: They do not abide in darkness. [1.] They do not continue in that dark condition in which they were by nature; they are light in the Lord. They are without any true comfort, or joy, or hope, but do not continue in that condition; light is sown for them. [2.] Whatever darkness of affliction, disquietment, or fear, they may afterwards be in, provision is made that they may not long abide in it. [3.] They are delivered from that darkness which is perpetual, and which abideth for ever, that utter darkness where there is not the least gleam of light nor hope of it. II. The peril and danger of those that believe not, which gives fair warning to take heed of persisting in unbelief (Joh 12:47, Joh 12:48): "If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not, not I only, or not now, lest I should be looked upon as unfair in being judge in my own cause; yet let not infidelity think therefore to go unpunished, though I judge him not, there is one that judgeth him." So that we have here the doom of unbelief. Observe, 1. Who they are whose unbelief is here condemned: those who hear Christ's words and yet believe them not. Those shall not be condemned for their infidelity that never had, nor could have, the gospel; every man shall be judged according to the dispensation of light he was under: Those that have sinned without law shall be judged without law. But those that have heard, or might have heard, and would not, lie open to this doom. 2. What is the constructive malignity of their unbelief: not receiving Christ's word; it is interpreted (Joh 12:48) a rejecting of Christ, ho athetōn eme. It denotes a rejection with scorn and contempt. Where the banner of the gospel is displayed, no neutrality is admitted; every man is either a subject or an enemy. 3. The wonderful patience and forbearance of our Lord Jesus, exercised towards those who slighted him when he was come here upon earth: I judge him not, not now. Note, Christ was not quick or hasty to take advantage against those who refused the first offers of his grace, but continued waiting to be gracious. He did not strike those dumb or dead who contradicted him, never made intercession against Israel, as Elias did; though he had authority to judge, he suspended the execution of it, because he had work of another nature to do first, and that was to save the world. (1.) To save effectually those that were given him before he came to judge the degenerate body of mankind. (2.) To offer salvation to all the world, and thus far to save them that it is their own fault if they be not saved. He was to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Now the executing of the power of a judge was not congruous with that undertaking, Act 8:33. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away, it was suspended for a time. 4. The certain and unavoidable judgment of unbelievers at the great day, the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God: unbelief will certainly be a damning sin. Some think when Christ saith, I judge no man, he means that they are condemned already. There needs no process, they are self-judged; no execution, they are self-ruined; judgment goes against them of course, Heb 2:3. Christ needs not appear against them as their accuser, they are miserable if he do not appear for them as their advocate; however, he tells them plainly when and where they will be reckoned with. (1.) There is one that judgeth them. Nothing is more dreadful than abused patience, and grace trampled on; though for awhile mercy rejoiceth against judgment, yet there will be judgment without mercy. (2.) Their final judgment is reserved to the last day; to that day of judgment Christ here binds over all unbelievers, to answer then for all the contempts they have put upon him. Divine justice has appointed a day, and adjourns the sentence to that day, as Mat 26:64. (3.) The word of Christ will judge them then: The words that I have spoken, how light soever you have made of them, the same shall judge the unbeliever in the last day; as the apostles, the preachers of Christ's word, are said to judge, Luk 22:30. Christ's words will judge unbelievers two ways: - [1.] As the evidence of their crime, they will convict them. Every word Christ spoke, every sermon, every argument, every kind offer, will be produced as a testimony against those who slighted all he said. [2.] As the rule of their doom, they will condemn them; they shall be judged according to the tenour of that covenant which Christ procured and published. That word of Christ, He that believes not shall be damned, will judge all unbelievers to eternal ruin; and there are many such like words. III. A solemn declaration of the authority Christ had to demand our faith, and require us to receive his doctrine upon pain of damnation, Joh 12:49, Joh 12:50, where observe, 1. The commission which our Lord Jesus received from the Father to deliver his doctrine to the world (Joh 12:49): I have not spoken myself, as a mere man, much less as a common man; but the Father gave me a commandment what I should say. This is the same with what he said Joh 7:16. My doctrine is, (1.) Not mine, for I have not spoken of myself. Christ, as Son of man, did not speak that which was of human contrivance or composure; as Son of God, he did not act separately, or by himself alone, but what he said was the result of the counsels of peace; as Mediator, his coming into the world was voluntary, and with his full consent, but not arbitrary, and of his own head. But, (2.) It was his that sent him. God the Father gave him, [1.] His commission. God sent him as his agent and plenipotentiary, to concert matters between him and man, to set a treaty of peace on foot, and to settle the articles. [2.] His instructions, here called a commandment, for they were like those given to an ambassador, directing him not only what he may say, but what he must say. The messenger of the covenant was entrusted with an errand which he must deliver. Note, Our Lord Jesus learned obedience himself, before he taught it to us, though he was a Son. The Lord God commanded the first Adam, and he by his disobedience ruined us; he commanded the second Adam, and he by his obedience saved us. God commanded him what he should say and what he should speak, two words signifying the same thing, to denote that every word was divine. The Old Testament prophets sometimes spoke of themselves; but Christ spoke by the Spirit at all times. Some make this distinction: He was directed what he should say in his set sermons, and what he should speak in his familiar discourses. Others this: He was directed what he should say in his preaching now, and what he should speak in his judging at the last day; for he had commission and instruction for both. 2. The scope, design, and tendency of this commission: I know that his commandment is life everlasting, Joh 12:50. The commission given to Christ had a reference to the everlasting state of the children of men, and was in order to their everlasting life and happiness in that state: the instructions given to Christ as a prophet were to reveal eternal life (Jo1 5:11); the power, given to Christ as a king was to give eternal life, Joh 17:2. Thus the command given him was life everlasting. This Christ says he knew: "I know it is so," which intimates how cheerfully and with what assurance Christ pursued his undertaking, knowing very well that he went upon a good errand, and that which would bring forth fruit unto life eternal. It intimates likewise how justly those will perish who reject Christ and his word. Those who disobey Christ despise everlasting life, and renounce it; so that not only Christ's words will judge them, but even their own; so shall their doom be, themselves have decided it; and who can except against it? 3. Christ's exact observance of the commission and instructions given him, and his steady acting in pursuance of them: Whatsoever I speak, it is as the Father said unto me. Christ was intimately acquainted with the counsels of God, and was faithful in discovering so much of them to the children of men as it was agreed should be discovered, and kept back nothing that was profitable. As the faithful witness delivers souls, so did he, and spoke the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Note, (1.) This is a great encouragement to faith; the sayings of Christ, rightly understood, are what we may venture our souls upon. (2.) It is a great example of obedience. Christ said as he was bidden, and so must we, communicated what the Father had said to him, and so must we. See Act 4:20. In the midst of all the respect paid to him, this is the honour he values himself upon, that what the Father had said to him that he spoke, and in the manner as he was directed so he spoke. This was his glory, that, as a Son, he was faithful to him that appointed him; and, by an unfeigned belief of every word of Christ, and an entire subjection of soul to it, we must give him the glory due to his name.”

“And he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me. Not with bodily eyes, for there were many that saw Christ, who never saw the Father: they saw Christ as a mere man, and were offended at the meanness of his outward appearance; they saw nothing divine in him, nor the glory of the Father through him; but with the eyes of the understanding, whoever saw or perceived the glory of Christ in his miracles, saw the glory of God in them also, for the Father that dwelt in him did the works, Joh 2:11, and whoever truly sees Christ with an eye of faith, sees his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father, as the brightness of his Father's glory, as having the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him, the same perfections as in the Father; so that he that hath seen the one, hath seen the other also, Joh 14:9. . John 12:46 joh 12:46 joh 12:46 joh 12:46I am come a light into the world,.... And even as the light of it, being the sun of righteousness, that was to arise, and now was risen, to enlighten men with the light of the living; see Joh 3:19; that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness; God's elect themselves, whilst in a state of unregeneracy and unbelief, are in darkness; when Christ shines in upon them, and infuses the light of faith into them, they are no longer in darkness; the darkness is past, at least in a great measure, and the true light shines; in which they see light, see glory and grace of Christ, and the invisible realities of another world: nor do they continue in the darkness of sin, ignorance, and unbelief; but walk in the light of truth, faith, and holiness, until the perfect day comes, when all the shadows of remaining darkness will flee away.”

“Jesus cried and said - This is our Lord's concluding discourse to this wicked people: probably this and the following verses should be understood as a part of the discourse which was left off at the 36th verse. Jesus cried - he spoke these words aloud, and showed his earnest desire for their salvation. Believeth not on me, (only), but on him that sent me - Here he asserts again his indivisible unity with the Father: - he who believes on the Son believes on the Father: he who hath seen the Son hath seen the Father: he who honors the Son honors the Father. Though it was for asserting this (his oneness with God) that they were going to crucify him, yet he retracts nothing of what he had spoken, but strongly reasserts it, in the very jaws of death!”

“Jesus cried--in a loud tone, and with peculiar solemnity. (Compare Joh 7:37). and said, He that believeth on me, &c.--This seems to be a supplementary record of some weighty proclamations, for which there had been found no natural place before, and introduced here as a sort of summary and winding up of His whole testimony. Next: John Chapter 13”