Joh 1:41-49, 6:69, 11:27, Act 8:37, 1Jo 5:1 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 41. He first findeth He found him and told him about Jesus before he brought him to Jesus. We have found the Messias . They had learned from the testimony of John, and now had been more fully convinced from conversation with Jesus, that he was the Messiah. The word Messiah, or Messias, is Hebrew, and means the same as the Greek word Christ, anointed . . From the conduct of Andrew we may learn that it is the nature of religion to desire that others may possess it. It does not lead us to monopolize it or to hide it under a bushel, but it seeks that others also may be brought to the Saviour. It does not wait for them to come, but it goes for them; it seeks them out, and tells them that a Saviour is found. Young converts should seek their friends and neighbours, and tell them of a Saviour; and not only their relatives, but all others as far as possible, that all may come to Jesus and be saved. (6) "the Christ" or, " the anointed .

John 1:41-49

Verse 41. He first findeth He found him and told him about Jesus before he brought him to Jesus.

We have found the Messias. They had learned from the testimony of John, and now had been more fully convinced from conversation with Jesus, that he was the Messiah. The word Messiah, or Messias, is Hebrew, and means the same as the Greek word Christ, anointed. Mt 1:1. From the conduct of Andrew we may learn that it is the nature of religion to desire that others may possess it. It does not lead us to monopolize it or to hide it under a bushel, but it seeks that others also may be brought to the Saviour. It does not wait for them to come, but it goes for them; it seeks them out, and tells them that a Saviour is found. Young converts should seek their friends and neighbours, and tell them of a Saviour; and not only their relatives, but all others as far as possible, that all may come to Jesus and be saved.

(6) "the Christ" or, "the anointed. Verse 42. Cephas. This is a Syriac word, meaning the same as the Greek word Peter, a stone. Mt 16:17. The stone, or rock, is a symbol of firmness and steadiness of character--a trait in Peter's character after the ascension of Jesus that was very remarkable. Before the death of Jesus he was rash, headlong, variable; and it is one proof of the omniscience of Jesus that he saw that Peter would possess a character that would be expressed appropriately by the word stone or rock. The word Jonas is a Hebrew word, whose original signification is a dove. It may be that Jesus had respect to that when he gave Simon the name Peter. "You now bear a name emblematic of timidity and inconstancy. You shall be called by a name denoting firmness and constancy."

(k) "thou shalt be called Cephas" Mt 16:18 (7) "A Stone" or, "Peter" Verse 43. Would go forth.

Into Galilee. He was now in Judea, where he went to be baptized by John. He was now about to return to his native country.

Findeth Philip. This does not refer to his calling these disciples to be apostles, for that took place at the Sea of Tiberias (Mt 4:18), but it refers to their being convinced that he was the Christ. This is the object of this evangelist, to show how and when they were convinced of this. Matthew states the time and occasion in which they were called to be apostles; John, the time in which they first became acquainted with Jesus, and were convinced that he was the Messiah. There is, therefore, no contradiction in the evangelists. Verse 44. Of Bethsaida. Mt 11:21.

The city of. The place where Andrew and Peter dwelt. Verse 45. Moses, in the law. Moses, in that part of the Old Testament which he wrote, called by the Jews the law. See De 18:15,18 Gen 49:10, 3:15. And the prophets, Isa 53:1-12, 9:6,7, Dan 9:24-27; Jer 13:5,6; &c.

Jesus of Nazareth, &c. They spoke according to common apprehension. They spoke of him as the son of Joseph because he was commonly supposed to be. They spoke of him as dwelling at Nazareth, though they might not have been ignorant that he was born at Bethlehem.

(l) "Moses in the law" Lk 24:27,44 Verse 46. Can any good thing, &c. The character of Nazareth was proverbially bad. To be a Galilean or a Nazarene was an expression of decided contempt, Jn 7:52. Mt 2:23. Nathanael asked, therefore, whether it was possible that the Messiah should come from a place proverbially wicked. This was a mode of judging in the case not uncommon. It is not by examining evidence, but by prejudice. Many persons suffer their minds to be filled with prejudice against religion, and then pronounce at once without examination. They refuse to examine the subject, for they have set it down that it cannot be true. It matters not where a teacher comes from, or what is the place of his birth, provided he be authorized of God and qualified for his work.

Come and see. This was the best way to answer Nathanael. He did not sit down to reason with him, or speculate about the possibility that a good thing could come from Nazareth; but he asked him to go and examine for himself, to see the Lord Jesus, to hear him converse, to lay aside his prejudice, and to judge from a fair and candid personal inquiry. So we should beseech sinners to lay aside their prejudices against religion, and to be Christians, and thus make trial for themselves. If men can be persuaded to come to Jesus, all their petty and foolish objections against religion will vanish. They will be satisfied from their own experience that it is true, and in this way only will they ever be satisfied.

(m) "Can there be any good thing" Jn 7:41

Verse 47. An Israelite indeed. One who is really an Israelite--not by birth only, but one worthy of the name. One who possesses the spirit, the piety, and the integrity which become a man who is really a Jew, who fears God and obeys his law. Comp. Rom 9:6, 2:28,29.

No guile. No deceit, no fraud, no hypocrisy. He is really what he professes to be--a Jew, a descendant of the patriarch Jacob, fearing and serving God. He makes no profession which he does not live up to. He does not say that Nathanael was without guilt or sin, but that he had no disguise, no trick, no deceit--he was sincere and upright. This was a most honourable testimony. How happy would it be if he, who knows the hearts of all as he did that of Nathanael, could bear the same testimony of all who profess the religion of the gospel!

(n) "Behold" Ps 32:2, Rom 2:28,29 Verse 48. Whence knowest thou me? Nathanael was not yet acquainted with the divinity of Christ, and supposed that he had been a stranger to him. Hearing him express a favourable opinion of him, he naturally inquired by what means he had any knowledge of him. His conscience testified to the truth of what Jesus said--that he had no guile, and he was anxious to know whence he had learned his character.

Before that Philip called thee. See Jn 1:45.

When thou wast under the fig tree. It is evident that it was from something that had occurred under the fig-tree that Jesus judged of his character. What that was is not recorded. It is not improbable that Nathanael was accustomed to retire to the shade of a certain tree, perhaps in his garden or in a grove, for the purpose of meditation and prayer. The Jews were much in the habit of selecting such places for private devotion, and in such scenes of stillness and retirement there is something peculiarly favourable for meditation and prayer. Our Saviour also worshipped in such places. Comp. Jn 18:2, Lk 6:12. In that place of retirement it is not improbable that Nathanael was engaged in private devotion.

I saw thee. It is clear, from the narrative, that Jesus did not mean to say that he was bodily present with Nathanael and saw him; but he knew his thoughts, his desires, his secret feelings and wishes. In this sense Nathanael understood him. We may learn--

1st. That Jesus sees what is done in secret, and is therefore divine.

2nd. That he sees us when we little think of it.

3rd. That he sees us especially in our private devotions, hears our prayers, and marks our meditations. And

4th. That he judges of our character chiefly by our private devotions. Those are secret; the world sees them not; and in our closets we show what we are. How does it become us, therefore, that our secret prayers and meditations should be without guile and hypocrisy, and such as Jesus will approve!

(o) "I saw thee" Ps 139:1,2 Verse 49. Rabbi. Master. Applied appropriately to Jesus, and to no one else, Mt 23:10.

The Son of God. By this title he doubtless meant that he was the Messiah. His conscience told him that he had judged right of his character, and that therefore he must know the heart and the desires of the mind. If so, he could not be a mere man, but must be the long-expected Messiah.

The King of Israel. This was one of the titles by which the Messiah was expected, and this was the title which was affixed to his cross, Jn 19:18. This case of Nathanael John adduces as another evidence that Jesus was the Christ. The great object he had in view in writing this gospel was to collect the evidence that he was the Messiah, Mt 20:31. A case, therefore, where Jesus searched the heart, and where his knowledge of the heart convinced a pious Jew that he was the Christ, is very properly adduced as important testimony.

(p) "the Son" Mt 14:33, Jn 20:28,29 (q) "the King of Israel" Mt 21:5, 27:11

John 6:69

Verse 69. We are sure, &c. See a similar confession of Peter in Mt 16:16, and Mt 16:16. Peter says we are sure, in the name of the whole of the apostles. Jesus immediately cautions him, as he did on other occasions, not to be too confident, for one of them actually had no such feelings, but was a traitor.

John 11:27

Verse 27. Yea, Lord. this was a noble confession. It showed her full confidence in him as the Messiah, and her full belief that all that he said was true. See Mt 16:16.

Acts 8:37

Verse 37. And Philip said, etc. This was then stated to be the proper qualification for making a profession of religion. The terms are:

(1.) Faith, that is, a reception of Jesus as a Saviour; yielding the mind to the proper influences of the truths of redemption. Mk 16:16.

(2.) There is required not merely the assent of the understanding, but a surrender of the heart, the will, the affections, to the truth of the gospel. As these were the proper qualifications then, so they are now. Nothing less is required; and nothing but this can constitute a proper qualification for the Lord's Supper.

I believe, etc. This profession is more than a professed belief that Jesus was the Messiah. The name Christ implies that. "I believe that Jesus the Messiah" is, etc. In addition to this, he professed his belief that he was the Son of God--showing either that he had before supposed that the Messiah would be the Son of God, or that Philip had instructed him on that point. It was natural for Philip, in discoursing on the humiliation and poverty of Jesus, to add also that he sustained a higher rank of being than a man, and was the Son of God. What precise ideas the eunuch attached to this expression cannot be now determined. This verse is wanting in a very large number of manuscripts, (Mill,) and has been rejected by many of the ablest critics. It is also omitted in the Syriac and Ethiopic versions. It is not easy to conceive why it has been omitted in almost all the Greek Mss., unless it is spurious. If it was not in the original copy of the Acts, it was probably inserted by some early transcriber, and was deemed so important to the connexion, to show that the eunuch was not admitted hastily to baptism, that it was afterwards retained. It contains, however, an important truth, elsewhere abundantly taught in the Scriptures, that faith is necessary to a proper profession of religion.

(d) "If thou believest" Mk 16:16, Acts 8:12 (a) "I believe that Jesus Christ" Jn 11:27, 1Cor 12:3, 1Jn 4:15.

1 John 5:1

I John Chapter 5

ANALYSIS OF CHAPTER

THIS chapter embraces the following subjects:

I. A continuance of the discussion about love, 1Jn 5:1-3. These verses should have been attached to the previous chapter.

II. The victory which is achieved over the world by those who are born of God. The grand instrumentality by which this is done, is by the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, 1Jn 5:4,5.

III. The evidence that Jesus is the Son of God; or the means by which that truth is so believed as to secure a victory over the world, 1Jn 5:6-12. In this part of the chapter the apostle goes fully into the nature of this evidence, or the ways in which the Christian becomes so thoroughly convinced of it as to give to faith this power. He refers to these sources of evidence:

(a.) The witness of the Spirit, 1Jn 5:6.

(b.) The record borne in heaven, 1Jn 5:7--if that verse be genuine.

(c.) The evidence borne on earth, by the Spirit, the water, and the blood--all bearing witness to that one truth.

(d.) The credit which is due to the testimony of God, or which the soul pays to it, 1Jn 5:8.

(e.) The fact that he who believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself, 1Jn 5:10.

(f.) The amount of the record, that God has given to us eternal life through his Son, 1Jn 5:11,12.

IV. The reason why all this was written by the apostle, 1Jn 5:13. It was that they might know that they had eternal life, and might believe on the name of the Saviour.

V. The effect of this in leading us to the throne of grace, with the assurance that God will hear us, and will grant our requests, 1Jn 5:14,15.

VI. The power of prayer, and the duty of praying for those who have sinned. The encouragement to this is, that there are many sins which are not unto death, and that we may hope that God will be merciful to those who have not committed the unpardonable offence, 1Jn 5:16,17.

VII. A summary of all that the apostle had said to them, or of the points of which they were sure in the matter of salvation, 1Jn 5:18-20. They knew that those who are born of God do not sin; that the wicked one cannot permanently injure them; that they were of God, while all the world lay in wickedness; that the Son of God had come, and that they were truly united to that Saviour who is the true God, and who is eternal life.

VIII. An exhortation to keep themselves from all idolatry, 1Jn 5:21.

Verse 1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ. Is the Messiah; the anointed of God. On the meaning of the word Christ, Mt 1:1. Of course it is meant here that the proposition, that "Jesus is the Christ," should be believed or received in the true and proper sense, in order to furnish evidence that any one is born of God. Comp. 1Jn 4:3. It cannot be supposed that a mere intellectual acknowledgment of the proposition that Jesus is the Messiah is all that is meant, for that is not the proper meaning of the word believe in the Scriptures. That word, in its just sense, implies that the truth which is believed should make its fair and legitimate impression on the mind, or that we should feel and act as if it were true. Mk 16:16. If, in the proper sense of the phrase, a man does believe that Jesus is the Christ, receiving him as he is revealed as the Anointed of God, and a Saviour, it is undoubtedly true that that constitutes him a Christian, for that is what is required of a man in order that he may be saved. Acts 8:37. Is born of God. Or rather, "is begotten of God." Jn 3:3. And every one that loveth him that begat. That loves that God who has thus begotten those whom he has received as his children, and to whom he sustains the endearing relation of Father. Loveth him also that is begotten of him. That is, he will love all the true children of God; all Christians. 1Jn 4:20. The general idea is, that as all Christians are the children of the same Father; as they constitute one family; as they all bear the same image; as they share his favour alike; as they are under the same obligation of gratitude to him, and are bound to promote the same common cause, and are to dwell together in the same home for ever, they should therefore love one another. As all the children in a family love their common father, so it should be in the great family of which God is the Head.

(a) "Whosoever believeth" Jn 1:12,13