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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - John 12:44-50

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, John 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... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 12:44-50

12:44-50 Jesus cried and said: "He who believes in me does not believe in me, but in him who sent me. And he who looks upon me, looks upon him who sent me. It was as light that I came into the world, that every one who believes in me should not remain in darkness. And, if anyone hears my words and does not keep them, it is not I who judge him. I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who completely disregards me as of no account, and who does not receive my words, has one... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 12:47

And if any man hear my words and believe not ,.... Men may hear the Gospel of Christ, and not understand it; and they may understand it literally and grammatically, though not spiritually and experimentally, and not believe it; not so much as give credit or an assent to the truth of it, but reject and deny it; for though faith comes by hearing to some, it does not come to all: some receive no profit by hearing it, because it is not mixed with faith by them. The Alexandrian copy, and all the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - John 12:47

And believe not - Και μη φυλαξῃ , And keep them not, is the reading of ABL, seven others; Syriac, Wheelock's Persian, two of the Arabic, Coptic, Sahidic, Ethiopic, Armenian, later Syriac, Vulgate, six of the Itala, and some of the fathers. A man must hear the words of Christ in order to believe them; and he must believe, in order to keep them; and he must keep them in order to his salvation. I judge him not - I need not do it: the words of Moses and the prophets judge and condemn... read more

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

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

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