Joh 12:31, 1Cor 1:20 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 31. Now is the judgment of this world . Greek, "crisis." This expression, doubtless, has reference to his approaching death, and whatever he means by judgment here relates to something that was to be accomplished by that death. It cannot mean that then was to be the time in which the world was to be finally judged, for he says that he did not come then to judge the world ( ), and he has clearly declared that there shall be a future day when he will judge all mankind. The meaning of it may be thus expressed: "Now is approaching the decisive scene, the eventful period--the crisis--when it shall be determined who shall rule this world. There has been a long conflict between the powers of light and darkness-- between God and the devil. Satan has so effectually ruled that he may be said to be the prince of this world; but my approaching death will destroy his kingdom, will break down his power, and will be the means of setting up the kingdom of God over man." The death of Christ was to be the most grand and effectual of all means that could be used to establish the authority of the law and the government of God, . This it did by showing the regard which God had for his law; by showing his hatred of sin, and presenting the strongest motives to induce man to leave the service of Satan; by securing the influences of the Holy Spirit, and by his putting forth his own direct power in the cause of virtue and of God. The death of Jesus was the determining cause, the grand crisis, the concentration of all that God had ever done, or ever will do, to break down the kingdom of Satan, and set up his power over man. Thus was fulfilled the prediction ( ), "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Now shall the prince of this world . Satan, or the devil, . He is also called the god of this world, : "The rulers of the darkness of this world "--that is, the rulers of this dark world--a well-known Hebraism. He is also called "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience," . All these names are given him from the influence or power which he has over the men of this world, because the great mass of men have been under his control and subject to his will. Be cast out. His kingdom shall be destroyed; his empire shall come to an end. It does not mean that his reign over all men would entirely cease then, but that then would be the crisis , the grand conflict in which he would be vanquished, and from that time his kingdom begin to decline, until it would finally cease, and then be free altogether from his dominion. See ; . (f) "the prince of this world"

John 12:31

Verse 31. Now is the judgment of this world. Greek, "crisis." This expression, doubtless, has reference to his approaching death, and whatever he means by judgment here relates to something that was to be accomplished by that death. It cannot mean that then was to be the time in which the world was to be finally judged, for he says that he did not come then to judge the world (Jn 12:47, 8:15), and he has clearly declared that there shall be a future day when he will judge all mankind. The meaning of it may be thus expressed:

"Now is approaching the decisive scene, the eventful

period--the crisis--when it shall be determined who

shall rule this world. There has been a long

conflict between the powers of light and darkness--

between God and the devil. Satan has so effectually

ruled that he may be said to be the prince of this

world; but my approaching death will destroy his

kingdom, will break down his power, and will be the

means of setting up the kingdom of God over man."

The death of Christ was to be the most grand and effectual of all means that could be used to establish the authority of the law and the government of God, Rom 8:3,4. This it did by showing the regard which God had for his law; by showing his hatred of sin, and presenting the strongest motives to induce man to leave the service of Satan; by securing the influences of the Holy Spirit, and by his putting forth his own direct power in the cause of virtue and of God. The death of Jesus was the determining cause, the grand crisis, the concentration of all that God had ever done, or ever will do, to break down the kingdom of Satan, and set up his power over man. Thus was fulfilled the prediction (Gen 3:15),

"I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and

between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy

head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

Now shall the prince of this world. Satan, or the devil, Jn 14:30, 16:11. He is also called the god of this world, 2Cor 4:4, Eph 6:12: "The rulers of the darkness of this world "--that is, the rulers of this dark world--a well-known Hebraism. He is also called "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience," Eph 2:2. All these names are given him from the influence or power which he has over the men of this world, because the great mass of men have been under his control and subject to his will.

Be cast out. His kingdom shall be destroyed; his empire shall come to an end. It does not mean that his reign over all men would entirely cease then, but that then would be the crisis, the grand conflict in which he would be vanquished, and from that time his kingdom begin to decline, until it would finally cease, and then be free altogether from his dominion. See Lk 10:18, Col 1:18-20, Acts 26:18; 1Cor 15:25,26; Rev 20:14.

(f) "the prince of this world" Lk 10:18, Jn 16:11, Acts 26:18, Eph 2:2

1 Corinthians 1:20

Verse 20. Where is the wise? Language similar to this occurs in Isa 33:18, "Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?" Without designing to quote these words as having an original reference to the subject now under consideration, Paul uses them as any man does language where he finds words with which he or his readers are familiar, that will convey his meaning. A man familiar with the Bible will naturally often make use of Scripture expressions in conveying his ideas. In Isaiah the passage refers to the deliverance of the people from the threatened invasion of Sennacherib. The 18th verse represents the people as meditating on the threatened terror of the invasion; and then, in the language of exultation and thanksgiving at their deliverance, saying," Where is the wise man that laid the plan of destroying the nation? Where the inspector-general, (see my Note on the passage in Isaiah,) employed in arranging the forces? Where the receiver, (margin, the weigher,) the paymaster of the forces? Where the man that counted the towers Of Jerusalem, and calculated on their speedy overthrow? All baffled and defeated; and their schemes have all come to nought." So the apostle uses the same language in regard to the boasted wisdom of the world in reference to salvation. It is all baffled, and is all shown to be of no value.

The wise. σοφος. The sage. At first the Greek men of learning were called wise men, σοφοι like the magicians of the East. They afterwards assumed a more modest appellation, and called themselves the lovers of wisdom, φιλοσοφοι, or philosophers. This was the name by which they were commonly known in Greece, in the time of Paul.

Where is the scribe? γραμματευς. The scribe among the Jews was a learned man, originally employed in transcribing the law; but subsequently the term came to denote a learned man in general. Among the Greeks the word was used to denote a public notary; or a transcriber of the laws; or a secretary. It was a term, therefore, nearly synonymous with a man of learning; and the apostle evidently uses it in this sense in this place. Some have supposed that he referred to the Jewish men of learning here; but he probably had reference to the Greeks.

Where is the disputer of this world? The acute and subtle sophist of this age. The word disputer, συζητητης, properly denotes one who inquires carefully into the causes and relations of things; one who is a subtle and abstruse investigator. It was applied to the ancient sophists and disputants in the Greek academies; and the apostle refers, doubtless, to them. The meaning is, that in all their professed investigations, in all their subtle and abstruse inquiries, they had failed of ascertaining the way in which man could be saved; and that God had devised a plan which had baffled all their wisdom, and in which their philosophy was disregarded. The term world here, αιωνος refers, probably, not to the world as a physical structure--though Grotius supposes that it does--but to that age; the disputer of that age, or generation; an age eminently wise and learned.

Hath not God made foolish, etc, That is, has he not by the originality and superior efficacy of his plan of salvation, poured contempt on all the schemes of philosophers, and evinced their folly? Not only without the aid of those schemes of men, but in opposition to them, he has devised a plan for human salvation that evinces its efficacy and its wisdom in the conversion of sinners, and in destroying the power of wickedness. Paul here, possibly, had reference to the language in Isa 44:25: God "turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish."

(d) "foolish" Isa 44:25