John 16:12

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - John 16:7-15

As it was usual with the Old Testament prophets to comfort the church in its calamities with the promise of the Messiah (Isa. 9:6; Mic. 5:6; Zech. 3:8); so, the Messiah being come, the promise of the Spirit was the great cordial, and is still. Three things we have here concerning the Comforter's coming:-- I. That Christ's departure was absolutely necessary to the Comforter's coming, John 16:7. The disciples were so loth to believe this that Christ saw cause to assert it with a more than... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 16:12-15

16:12-15 "I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of Truth has come, he will lead you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own authority and out of his own knowledge, but he will speak all that he will hear, and he will tell you of the things to come. He will glorify me, for he will take of the things which belong to me, and will tell you of them. All things that the Father has are mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 16:12

I have yet many things to say unto you ,.... Not with respect to the main doctrines of the Gospel, for everything of this kind he had made known unto them, John 15:15 ; but what regarded the rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles, the abrogation of the Mosaic economy, and settling the Gospel church state, which were to come to pass after the death and resurrection of Christ, and the sending of the Spirit: but ye cannot bear them now ; because of their prejudices in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - John 16:12

Ye cannot bear them now - In illustration of these three points, Christ had many things to say; but he found that his disciples could only bear general truths; yet, in saying what he did, he sowed the seeds of the whole system of theological knowledge, and heavenly wisdom, which the Holy Spirit of this truth afterwards watered and ripened into a glorious harvest of light and salvation, by the ministry of the apostles. Dr. Lightfoot supposes that the things which the apostles could not bear... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - John 16:12

Verse 12 12.I have still many things to say to you. Christ’s discourse could not have so much influence over his disciples, as to prevent their ignorance from still keeping them in perplexity about many things; and not only so, but they scarcely obtained a slight taste of those things which ought to have imparted to them full satisfaction, had it not been for the obstruction arising from the weakness of the flesh. It was, therefore, impossible but that the consciousness of their poverty should... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 16:7-33

(9) The promise of the Paraclete . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 16:12

Notwithstanding the abundance of the revelations which Christ had given, still, said he, I have many things yet to tell you, but ye cannot bear them now ( ἄρτι ); i.e. at this epoch of your training. Christ ( John 14:18 , etc., in a passage which he proceeds to enlarge and deepen) has already said that the coming to them of the Paraclete would be one method of his own Divine approach to them for purposes of consolation and instruction; consequently he does not now allow them to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 16:12-15

(b) The power of the Paraclete on the disciples themselves . From the twelfth to the fifteenth verse the relation of the Paraclete to the disciples themselves makes yet more evident the expediency of the glorification of the Son of man, and demonstrates the authority of the apostolic teaching. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 16:12-15

The Spirit's office is not confined to the convection of the world. It has relation to the needs of the Church as well as the world. I. OUR LORD 'S CONSIDERATION FOR THE SPIRITUAL INCAPACITY OF HIS DISCIPLES . "I have yet many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now." 1. He had already told them many things which they could hardly understand . The communications of his truth were the marks of his loving confidence ( John 15:15 ). 2. Other... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - John 16:12

I have yet many things to say ... - There were many things pertaining to the work of the Spirit and the establishment of religion which might be said. Jesus had given them the outline; he had presented to them the great doctrines of the system, but he had not gone into details. These were things which they could not then bear. They were still full of Jewish prejudices, and were not prepared for a full development of his plans. He probably refers here to the great change which were to take place... read more

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