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John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - John 12:47

Verse 47 47.If any man hear my words. After having spoken concerning his grace, and exhorted his disciples to steady faith, he now begins to strike the rebellious, though even here he mitigates the severity due to the wickedness of those who deliberately — as it were — reject God; for he delays to pronounce judgment on them, because, on the contrary, he has come for the salvation of all. In the first place, we ought to understand that he does not speak here of all unbelievers without... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - John 12:48

Verse 48 48.He who rejecteth me. That wicked men may not flatter themselves as if their unbounded disobedience to Christ would pass unpunished, he, adds here a dreadful threatening, that though he were to do nothing in this matter, yet his doctrine alone would be sufficient to condemn them, as he says elsewhere, that there would be no need of any other judge than Moses, in whom they boasted, (John 5:45.) The meaning, therefore, is: “Burning with ardent desire to promote your salvation, I do... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - John 12:49

Verse 49 49.For I do not speak from myself. That the outward appearance of man may not lessen the majesty of God, Christ frequently sends us to the Father. This is the reason why he so often mentions the Father; and, indeed, since it would be unlawful to transfer to another a single spark of the Divine glory, the word, to which judgment is ascribed, must have proceeded from God. Now Christ here distinguishes himself from the Father, not simply as to his Divine Person, but rather as to his... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - John 12:50

Verse 50 50.And I know that his commandment is eternal life. He again applauds the fruit of his doctrine, that all may more willingly yield to it; and it is reasonable that wicked men should feel the vengeance of God, whom they now refuse to have as the Author of life. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 12:44-50

7. The summation of the supreme conflict between our Lord and the world . The portion of the chapter which follows is regarded by most commentators, Lucke, Meyer, Godet, Olshausen, and Westcott, as a summary of our Lord's teaching, as a reiteration by the evangelist of those salient points of the Lord's ministry which, while they are the life of the world, are nevertheless the grounds on which blinded eyes and hardened hearts rejected him. John 12:44-46 characterize the believer; John... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 12:44-50

The responsibilities attaching to Jewish unbelief. The evangelist now takes a retrospective glance at the unbelief of Judaism. What follows is but a summary of our Lord's past teaching. I. MARK BY CONTRAST THE POSITION OF THE BELIEVER . "He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me." 1. The believer recognizes Jesus as the Messiah sent by the Father, as the Revelation of the Father's love and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 12:44-50

Christ's farewell sermon to the public, Notice— I. THE MISSION OF CHRIST IN RELATION TO FAITH . 1. Faith in the Son involves faith in the Father . "He that believeth on me, believeth not on me [only]." 2. A spiritual vision of Christ involves a spiritual vision of the Father . "He that seeth me," etc. 3. Faith in Christ alone made full faith in the Father possible . II. THE MISSION OF CHRIST IN ' RELATION ' TO UNBELIEF . 1. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 12:47

If any one shall have heard my sayings, and have (guarded) kept £ them not. Here our Lord passes from the effect of his earthly life, which is light, to that of the words ( ῥημάτα ) by which the whole future of mankind will be affected, and one is reminded of the close of the sermon on the mount, where the condition of that man is portrayed who hears the λόγους of Christ and doeth them net, whose destiny will be determined by the natural course of things (see Matthew 7:26... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 12:48

He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings ( ῥήματα ), hath one that judgeth him —perhaps, that which judgeth him— the word ( λόγος ) which I spake, that will judge him at the last day. There is no more awful utterance than this. How strange that some critics should, with a view to disparage the authenticity of the Gospel, make it appear that there is no reference in it to judgment to come, or to the last day, and should deliberately ignore this feature of the... read more

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