Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 10:25
Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
25. I told you, and ye believed not ] The best authorities have, and ye believe not: their unbelief still continues. To some few, the woman at the well, the man born blind, and the Apostles, Jesus had explicitly declared Himself to be the Messiah; to all He had implicitly declared Himself by His works and teaching.
the works ] in the widest sense, not miracles alone; His Messianic work generally. See on Joh 5:36. The pronouns are emphatically opposed; ‘the works which I do they. But ye believe not.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I told you – It is not recorded that Jesus had told them in so many words that he was the Christ, but he had used expressions designed to convey the same truth, and which many of them understood as claiming to be the Messiah. See Joh 5:19; Joh 8:36, Joh 8:56; Joh 10:1. The expression the Son of God they understood to be equivalent to the Messiah. This he had often used of himself in a sense not to be mistaken.
The works – The miracles, such as restoring the blind, curing the sick, etc.
In my Fathers name – By the power and command of God. Jesus was either the Messiah or an impostor. The Pharisees charged him with being the latter Mat 26:60-61; Mat 27:63; Joh 18:36; but God would not give such power to an impostor. The power of working miracles is an attestation of God to what is taught. See the notes at Mat 4:24.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 25. I told you, c.] That is, I told you before what I tell you now again, that the works which I do, bear testimony to me. I have told you that I am the light of the world: the Son of God: the good shepherd: that I am come to save – to give life – to give liberty-to redeem you: that, in order to this, I must die, and rise again and that I am absolute master of my life, and of my death. Have you not noticed my omniscience, in searching and discovering the very secrets of your hearts? Have you not seen my omnipotence in the miracles which I have wrought? Have not all these been sufficient to convince you? – and yet ye will not believe!-See the works which bore testimony to him, as the Messiah, enumerated, Mt 11:5.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I have in effect told it you more than once; I have told you that I am sent of the Father, &c., I have said enough for you to conclude it; but you will not understand, you will not receive it, you will not believe what I say. What need you any further witness of it, than those works which I do by Divine power; by virtue of my oneness with my Father, and of that power and authority which he hath committed to me, that by them I might confirm the doctrine which I have taught you?
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
25, 26. Jesus answered them, I toldyouthat is, in substance, what I am (for example Joh 7:37;Joh 7:38; Joh 8:12;Joh 8:35; Joh 8:36;Joh 8:58).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not,…. He had often said, what amounted to it, in his ministry and doctrine; as that God was his Father, and he was the light of the world, and the good shepherd, and the like; but they gave no heed nor credit to his words, even though he told them, that unless they believed he was such a person, they should die in their sins:
the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me; such as healing the sick, dispossessing devils, cleansing lepers, giving sight to the blind, causing the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk, and raising the dead to life; suggesting, that besides his words, his doctrine and ministry, they had his miracles before them, which plainly showed who he was; so that they need not have been in any doubt of mind, or suspense about him; nor had they any reason to complain of his hiding himself from them, or depriving them of the knowledge of him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I told you, and you believe not ( ). It was useless to say more. In 7:14-10:18 Jesus had shown that he was the Son of the Father as he had previously claimed (5:17-47), but it was all to no purpose save to increase their rage towards him.
These bear witness of me ( ). His works confirm his words as he had shown before (5:36). They believe neither his words nor his works.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Jesus answered them, I told you,” (apekrithe autois ho lesous eipon humin) “Jesus replied, I told you all,” who I was and am, again and again, Joh 5:19-20; Joh 5:43; Joh 6:38-40.
2) “And ye believed not: (kai ou pisteuete) “And you do not believe,” Joh 5:37; Joh 5:28; Joh 8:21; Joh 8:24.
3) ”The works I do in my Father’s name,” (ta erga ha ego poio, en to onomati tou patros mou) “The works which I do in my Father’s name,” by my Father’s authority, are more reliable evidence than the plainest words that I speak, Joh 5:36; Joh 17:4-5.
4) “They bear witness of me.” (tauta marturei peri emou) “These (works) witness concerning me,” regarding my Divinity and my Divine attributes, thus it was not necessary for Him to claim the name of Messiah, in the material sense they were looking for as unsaved Jews, Rom 10:1-4.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
25. I have told you. Our Lord Jesus (299) does not conceal that he is the Christ, and yet he does not teach them as if they were willing to learn, but rather reproaches them with obstinate malice, because, though they had been taught by the word and works of God, they had not yet made any progress. Accordingly, that they do not know him, he imputes to their own fault, as if he said: “My doctrine is easily enough understood, but the blame lies with you, because you maliciously resist God.”
The works which I do. He speaks of his works, in order to convict them of being doubly obstinate; for, besides the doctrine, they had a striking testimony in his miracles, if they had not been ungrateful to God. He twice repeats the words, You do not believe, in order to prove that, of their own accord, they were deaf to doctrine, and blind to works; which is a proof of extreme and desperate malice. He says that he did the works in the name of his Father; because his design was, to testify the power of God in them, by which it might be openly declared that he came from God.
(299) “ Nostre Seigneur Jesus.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(25) I told you, and ye believed not.Better, and ye believe not, as all the best MSS. Here, as in Joh. 8:25, where a similar direct question was put to Him, the answer is indirect. It could not be otherwise. Their misconception of the Messianic work had made the very word Messiah an impossible one for Him to utter to them. To have said He was the Messiah would have been to sanction their thought of Him as a temporal prince; to have said that He was not would have been to contradict the essential truth. He refers them, then, to His earlier words and deeds in proof of what He was. To inquirers of simpler hearts, as the woman of Samaria and the man born blind, He had used the word Messiah. To them He had again and again told the same truth, though the actual word had never crossed His lips while speaking to them.
The works that I do in my Fathers name.Comp. Note on Joh. 5:36. This appeal to His works, and the assertion that they were done in His Fathers name, is itself an answer in word and in deed that He was the Messiah.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
25. Told you believed not Jesus replies only to give them no hope. The works which raised their hopes of his power to be a successful hero-Messiah, ought to warn them that his word was true.
Bear witness of me Prove that I am the true Christ, though not the Messiah of your fancy.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Jesus answered them, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these bear witness of me’.
His reply is that they had neither listened to what He had been saying, nor rightly interpreted His amazing acts of power. All He had said and done had revealed Him as God’s Messiah (see Mat 11:2-6). But they had refused to understand His words and His deeds because He was not the kind of Messiah they were looking for. They would possibly have followed Him if He had taken up the sword, but not when He healed men and opened the eyes of the blind, not when He called men to receive life and become transformed. Yet these were the works that He had come to do. They declared what kind of Messiah He was, as based on Isa 61:1. (While this did not specifically refer to the Messiah, Jesus happily applied to Himself all references to the coming of a future figure who would bring about God’s purposes as part of the Messianic expectations, for all pointed to Him).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 10:25. Jesus answered them, I told you, &c. “I have in effect told you over and over;”for what our Lord had just been saying of himself in the preceding verses, as the good Shepherd, was in sense equivalent to a declaration of his being the Messiah: further, he had already performed those miracles which were to characterize and distinguish the Messiah, such as cleansing the lepers, curing the blind, &c. and if they had but judged by the characteristics of the Messiah given by many of their own rabbies, or by the dictates of unprejudiced reason, they must have acknowledged that he had sufficiently established his claim to the title of the Messiah.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joh 10:25-26 . Jesus had not only told them (on many occasions, if not always so directly as, for example, to the woman of Samaria, or the man born blind) that He was the Messiah, but had also testified to the fact by His Messianic works (v. 36). But they do not believe. The actual proof of their unbelief is first subjoined in the second clause: for ye belong not to my sheep; otherwise ye would stand in a totally different relation to me than that of unbelief; ye would hear my voice, and know me, and follow me, Joh 10:4 ; Joh 10:14 ; Joh 10:27 .
] Reproachful antithesis.
] belong, as both Lachmann and Tischendorf also punctuate, to what precedes (comp. Joh 1:33 ); but not, however, in such a way that Jesus merely makes a retrospective reference to the figure of the (Fritzsche: “ut similitudine utar, quam supra posui”), which would render this repulse very meaningless; but in such a way that Jesus recalls to their recollection the negative declaration itself as having been already uttered. It is true, indeed, that He had not given direct expression to the words , etc. in the preceding allegory; indirectly , however, He had done so, namely, by a description of His sheep, which necessarily involved the denial that the belonged to them. That this is the force of . ., He Himself declares by the exhibition of the relation of His sheep that follows. We are precluded from regarding it as an introduction to what follows (Curss., Cant., Corb., Arr., Euth. Zigabenus, Tholuck, Godet), in which case a comma ought to be placed before , and a colon after , by the circumstance that Jesus nowhere else quotes and (in the form of a summary) repeats a longer discourse of His own. In keeping with the style of the Gospels, only a brief, sententious saying, such as Joh 13:33 , would be fitted for such self-quotation. In this case, however, the quotation would embrace at least Joh 10:27-28 .
The circumstance that Jesus should refer to this allegory about two months after the date of Joh 10:1-21 , which has been erroneously used as an argument against the originality of the discourse (Strauss, Baur), may be simply accounted for by the assumption that during the interval He had had no further discussions with His hierarchical opponents, a supposition which is justified by its accounting for the silence observed by John relatively to that period. The presupposition involved in the words , that Jesus here has in the main the same persons before Him as during the delivery of His discourse regarding the shepherd, has nothing against it; and there is no necessity even for the assumption that John and Jesus conceived the discourses to be directed against the as a whole (Brckner).
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
Ver. 25. I told you, and ye believed not ] q.d. Your malice lies in the way, that neither mine oracles nor miracles can work upon your hearts. Therefore also Christ enlargeth them with a double unbelief: Ye believe not, saith he; and again, Ye believe not: this is the damning sin against the gospel; yea, this some will have to be that sin against the Holy Ghost, for which there is no pardon.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
25. ] He had often told them, in unmistakable descriptions of Himself; see ch. Joh 5:19 ; Joh 8:36 ; Joh 8:56 ; Joh 8:58 , &c. &c. But the great reference here is to His works , as in Joh 10:37 .
Observe the sharp contrast of and .
Joh 10:25 . Therefore He replies: “I told you and ye believe not. The works which I do in my Father’s name, these witness concerning me.” These works tell you what I am. They are works done in my Father’s name, that is, wholly as His representative. These show what kind of Christ He sends you and that I am He.
told. He had not spoken to them as He did in Joh 4:26; Joh 9:35-37, but the works were evidence enough to those who had eyes to see. Compare Joh 5:36; Joh 7:31; Joh 9:32; Joh 15:24. believed. App-150.
My Father’s name. Only occurs here and Joh 5:43. Compare Rev 14:1.
of = concerning. Greek. peri. App-104.
25.] He had often told them, in unmistakable descriptions of Himself; see ch. Joh 5:19; Joh 8:36; Joh 8:56; Joh 8:58, &c. &c. But the great reference here is to His works, as in Joh 10:37.
Observe the sharp contrast of and .
Joh 10:25. , I have told you) i.e. I am the Christ. A similar formula occurs, Mat 26:64, Tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God? Jesus saith, Thou hast said. Moreover Jesus often said, even in this chapter, Jesus is the Christ. I told you (and ye believed not; I tell you) and ye believe not [, not believed, as Engl. Vers.] , and, for but. Comp. Joh 10:26, , but [ye believe not],- , the works) which even might have convinced those who do not believe words.- , concerning Me) that I am the Christ.
Joh 10:25
Joh 10:25
Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believe not; the works that I do in my Fathers name, these bear witness of me.-While Jesus occasionally told those to whom he spoke that he was the Christ, generally he left the works that he did to make the impression, and when he saw a willingness to promptly accept the truth, he told them that he was the Christ. But when they caviled about his work and showed a desire to reject him, he refused to tell them. He chided them here with having refused to believe either his word or the works the Father had done through him. These people had seen many works performed at Jerusalem on his frequent visits to the city and had seen the blind mentioned in the ninth chapter healed. Mat 11:5 gives an enumeration of the miracles he performed in their midst.
I told: Joh 5:17-43, Joh 8:12, Joh 8:24, Joh 8:58
the works: Joh 10:32, Joh 10:38, Joh 3:2, Joh 5:36, Joh 7:31, Joh 11:47, Joh 12:37, Joh 14:11, Joh 20:30, Act 2:22, Act 10:38, Heb 2:3
Reciprocal: Mat 11:5 – blind Mat 21:25 – Why Luk 22:67 – If Joh 5:43 – come Joh 10:37 – General
5
Jesus made a very brief reply to their demand. He referred to what had previously been said and done concerning his works in the Father’s name.
Joh 10:25. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believe not: the works that I do in my Fathers name, they bear witness concerning me. A demand so made was never granted by Jesus. They had already received sufficient evidence, and to this He refers them. He again speaks of both word and deed. What He had said (see chap. Joh 5:19, Joh 8:36; Joh 8:56; Joh 8:58) had shown clearly who He is; what He had done had borne witness concerning Him (see chap. Joh 5:36). But both word and works had failed to lead them to belief in Him.
Vv. 25, 26. Jesus answered them, I told you and you do not believe; the works which I do in my Father’s name, these works bear witness of me. 26. But, as for you, you do not believe; for you are not of my sheep, as I said to you.
The position of Jesus with relation to the Jews had never been so critical. To answer yes, is not possible for Him; for the meaning which they give to the term Christ has, so to speak, nothing in common with that which He Himself attaches to it. To say no. is still less possible; for He is indeed the Christ promised of God, and, in this sense, the one whom they expect. His reply is admirable for its wisdom. He refers, as in Joh 8:25, to His testimonies in which He had applied to Himself the Messianic symbols of the old covenant and in some sort spelt out His title of Christ, so that if they were willing to believe, they had only to pronounce it themselves. Thus is His reply explained. The verb: I said to you, has no object; it is easy to supply the ellipsis: that which you ask me. To His own testimony, if it does not appear to them sufficient, there is added, moreover, that of the Father. His miracles were all works of the Father; for they were wrought with the invocation of His name; if Jesus were an impostor, would God have answered him thus? If these testimonies failed with them, it is the result of their unbelief (Joh 10:26). He is not the Messiah whom their heart demands: this is the reason why they affect not to understand what is so clear. The subject , you, placed at the beginning, signifies: It is not I, it is you, who are responsible for this result. And the following declaration: You are not of my sheep, shows them that the moral disposition is what is wanting to them that they may recognize in Him the divine Shepherd. The formula of quotation: as I said to you, is omitted by the Alexandrian MSS. But perhaps this omission arises from the fact that these words were not found textually in the preceding discourses. The authority of 12 Mjj., supported by that of the most ancient Vss., appears to us to guarantee their authenticity. In our first edition, we made them the preamble of Joh 10:27, especially because of the relation between the contents of this verse and that of Joh 10:3-5. The pronoun , you, however (as I said to you), favors rather the connection of this formula of quotation with Joh 10:26. For Jesus has never applied to the unbelieving Jews the promises of Joh 10:27; while He has frequently addressed to them charges equivalent to that of Joh 10:26. The charge of not being His sheep really formed the basis of the parables, Joh 10:1-5 and Joh 10:7-10, in which Jesus had distinguished clearly from His sheep the mass of the people and their rulers, His interlocutors in general. Reuss: Jesus had nowhere said this. Then again: The allegory of the sheep, he says, had been presented to an entirely different public. Finally, he maliciously adds: It is only the readers of the Gospel who have not left the scene. We have shown that Jesus had said this, and it is not difficult to show that He had said it to the same hearers. For the discourse in Joh 10:1-18 had not been addressed, as Reuss asserts, to pilgrim strangers who had come to the feast of Tabernacles and afterwards had departed, but to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, in response to some of the Pharisees (Joh 9:40) who had asked: And are we also blind? No doubt, we cannot hold that it was identically the same individuals who were found there again after two months; but it was the same population all whose members were alike in their dependence on the rulers and their general hostility to Jesus. The essential aim of the following words, in which Jesus describes the privileges of His sheep, is certainly that of making His hearers feel what an abyss separates them from such a condition.
Nevertheless this description naturally becomes an invitation to come to Him, addressed to those who are the least ill-disposed.
10:25 {8} Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
(8) The doctrine of the gospel is proved from heaven by two witnesses: both by the purity of the doctrine and by miracles.
Jesus did not mean that He had claimed publicly to be the Messiah. He had not. He meant that He had told the Jews that He was the Messiah by His works (cf. Joh 5:16-47; Joh 6:32-59; Joh 7:14-30). His miracles proved who He was, namely, God’s Son sent to fulfill the Father’s prophesied will, but the Jews generally rejected that testimony because they wanted a different type of Messiah. The ultimate reason they did not understand Jesus was that they were not of the sheep the Father had given to the Son (cf. Joh 10:1-18; Joh 6:37). This condition did not excuse their unbelief, but it explained it.
"From the human standpoint, we become His sheep by believing; but from the divine standpoint, we believe because we are His sheep. . . .
"In the Bible, divine election and human responsibility are perfectly balanced; and what God has joined together, we must not put asunder." [Note: Wiersbe, 1:332. See also C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, pp. 52-53.]
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)